Boreogadus saida (Lepechin 1774)

A pelagic cod adapted to close association with ice (cryopelagic)

Spawns once per lifetime, averaging 11,900 eggs per female; Migrate to nearshore waters to spawn; Eggs and larvae are pelagic; Mature at 2-6 years depending on region and sex; Maximum age is 6-7 years

Dark bluish head and back with violet sheen; Protruding lower jaw; Deeply indented caudal fin with rounded tips; Lateral line with curves; Greatest body depth behind the head

A main consumer of plankton offshore in the Arctic; The main food of many marine mammals, seabirds, and some fishes

Panarctic, endemic (only found in Arctic); One of the most northerly distributed fishes, collected near the North Pole; Cryopelagic or demersal; Brackish lagoons and river mouths to oceanic waters over deep central basins; Occasionally in large schools