Blackcod

Description

Black Cod flesh has large velvety flakes with a sweet, rich flavor due to its high oil content. Extremely rich in Omega-3 oils, black cod is a natural fit for your heart conscience diet. Black Cod is ideal for grilling, roasting, broiling and pan searing but can also be slow cooked without losing its texture. The result, however you prepare it, is a flaky, pure white, rich tasting fish that will delight and is a favorite among Western and Asian cooks alike.

Life History and Habitat

Life history, including information on the habitat, growth, feeding, and reproduction of a species, is important because it affects how a fishery is managed. There is limited information concerning the juvenile biology and post-larval stage of sablefish, which complicates assessing the extent to which stocks may exchange genetic material. Continued research is necessary to improve management of sablefish.

Geographic range: From Japan, north into the Bering Sea and south through Alaska, to the southern tip of Baja, California; highest concentrations in Alaska.

Habitat: Sablefish are found in waters 656 feet or deeper and have been found as deep as 9,800 feet. Juveniles live in surface and near-shore waters; adults live on mud bottoms.

Life span: Sablefish are long-lived and are estimated to live longer than 90 years. The maximum age reported is 94 years.

Food: Small sablefish eat zooplankton (tiny floating animals) in their first weeks of life. Sablefish prey on crustaceans, worms, and small fish as they grow older.

Growth rate: Rapid.

Maximum size: 4 feet.

Reaches reproductive maturity: Females mature at 2.1 feet and 6.5 years of age; males mature at 1.9 feet and 5 years of age.

Reproduction: Eggs develop in deep water for about 2 weeks until they hatch. Larvae swim to the surface after they begin feeding. In southeast Alaska and British Columbia, juveniles appear in nearshore waters by fall.

Spawning season: March through April in Alaska; January through March between California and British Columbia.

Spawning grounds: Usually in deeper water (984 to 2,300 feet) along the continental slope; depth is dependent upon location.

Migrations: Sablefish are highly mobile for part of their life; some juveniles have been found to migrate over 2,000 miles in 6 or 7 years.

Predators: Predators include other fish, seabirds, sharks, and killer whales.

Commercial or recreational interest: Commercial

Distinguishing characteristics: Roundfish resembling cod