Editing Gadidae

{{Short description|Family of ray-finned fishes}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = {{Fossil range|Oligocene|recent}}<ref name=FB/>
| image = Atlantic cod.jpg
| image_upright = 1.15
| image_caption = [[Atlantic cod]], ''[[Gadus morhua]]''
| taxon = Gadidae
| authority = [[Constantine Samuel Rafinesque|Rafinesque]], 1810
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision = ''[[Arctogadus]]''<br />
''[[Boreogadus]]''<br />
''[[Eleginus]]''<br />
''[[Gadiculus]]''<br />
''[[Gadus]]''<br />
''[[Melanogrammus]]''<br />
''[[Merlangius]]''<br />
''[[Microgadus]]''<br />
''[[Micromesistius]]''<br />
''[[Pollachius]]''<br />
''[[Raniceps]]''<br />
''[[Trisopterus]]''
}}

The '''Gadidae''' are a family of marine fish, included in the order [[Gadiformes]], known as the cods, codfishes, or true cods.<ref name= ITIS/>  It contains several commercially important fishes, including the [[cod]], [[haddock]], [[Merlangius merlangus|whiting]], and [[pollock]].

Most gadid species are found in temperate waters of the [[Northern Hemisphere]], but several range into subtropical, [[subarctic]], and [[Arctic]] oceans, and a single ([[southern blue whiting]]) is found in the [[Southern Hemisphere]]. They are generally medium-sized fish, and are distinguished by the presence of three [[dorsal fin]]s on the back and two [[anal fin]]s on the underside. Most species have [[barbel (anatomy)|barbel]]s on their chins, which they use while browsing on the sea floor. Gadids are carnivorous, feeding on smaller fish and [[crustacean]]s.<ref name=FB>{{FishBase family |family=Gadidae |year=2008 |month=December}}</ref>

Gadids are highly prolific, producing several million eggs at each spawning. This contributes to their high population numbers, which, in turn, makes [[commercial fishing]] relatively easy.<ref name=EoF>{{cite book |editor1=Paxton, J. R. |editor2=Eschmeyer, W. N. |author= Cohen, Daniel M.|year=1998|title=Encyclopedia of Fishes|publisher= Academic Press |location=San Diego |pages=130–131 |isbn= 0-12-547665-5}}</ref>

Concepts differ about the contents of the family Gadidae. The system followed by [[FishBase]] includes a dozen genera.<ref name=FB/>  Alternatively, fishes in the current [[Lotidae]] (with [[burbot]], [[cusk (fish)|cusk]]) and [[Phycidae]] (hakes) have also been included in the Gadidae, as its subfamilies Lotinae and Phycinae.<ref name= ITIS>{{ITIS| id = 164701
| taxon = Gadidae | access-date = 7 January 2017}}</ref><ref>Nelson, J. S. 2006. [[Fishes of the World]], 4th edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.</ref>

== See also ==
*[[Diseases and parasites in cod]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline|Gadidae}}
* {{Wikispecies-inline|Gadidae}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q208028}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Gadidae| ]]
[[Category:Euteleostei families]]
[[Category:Extant Oligocene first appearances]]
[[Category:Marine fish families]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque]]


{{gadiformes-stub}}