Gadidae

Gadidae (Cod-fishes), an important family of bony fishes in the sub-order Anacanthini (see BONY FISHES), including many of the most important food-fishes, such as cod, haddock, whiting, and other species of Gadus, the hake (Merluccius), the fresh-water burbot (Lota), and the ling (Molva). The general characters will be readily gathered from the articles on these fishes. Most of the Gadidae are littoral and surface fishes, but not a few, such as Chiasmodus (figured under FISHES), Halargyreus, the deep black Melanonus discovered by the Challenger, and Haloporphyrus, inhabit the deep sea, while a few species (e.g. burbot) live in fresh water. They vary greatly in size, from giant cod, hake, and ling four feet or so long to the dwarf-fish (Bregmaceros) of tropical seas, which measures only about three inches. See COD, and similar articles.