Long-finned Cod

Lepidion microcephalus

Fish
IUCN: Not evaluated

Usual depth802–1,106 m
Water temperature8–23 °C
Best monthsMay, August, and December
How commonOccasional

Photo credit: (c) Dr Tony Ayling, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist

About this species

The small-headed cod or the long-finned cod is a deepwater fish belonging to the morid cod family (Moridae), and related to the true cods. It is found in the Tasman Sea, including the Bass Strait. It is commercially harvested by both Australia and New Zealand. It has been found on the continental shelf, but typically its depth range is from 750 to 1,000 m. It grows to 48 centimetres (19 in) in total length.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Small-headed cod”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 2 records
February: 14 records
March: 16 records
April: 31 records
May: 34 records
June: 17 records
July: 11 records
August: 40 records
September: 23 records
October: 20 records
November: 19 records
December: 40 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 802–1,106 m · Deepest record: 1,966.5 m

220–230 m: 1 records
230–240 m: 0 records
240–250 m: 0 records
250–260 m: 0 records
260–270 m: 0 records
270–280 m: 0 records
280–290 m: 0 records
290–300 m: 1 records
300–310 m: 0 records
310–320 m: 0 records
320–330 m: 0 records
330+ m: 3,146 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 8–23 °C

8–10 °C: 14 records
10–12 °C: 147 records
12–14 °C: 163 records
14–16 °C: 445 records
16–18 °C: 89 records
18–20 °C: 22 records
20–22 °C: 38 records
22–24 °C: 12 records

Names and classification

English: Long-finned Cod, Smallhead Cod, Small-headed Cod

Names in 1 more languages

Simplified Chinese: 小頭雅鱈

Similar species

Giant cod
Lepidion inosimae
Schmidt's cod
Lepidion schmidti
Blackcod
Antimora rostrata
Dainty mora
Halargyreus johnsonii
Common mora
Mora moro
ahuru
Auchenoceros punctatus

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
3,320 open-data records from 1953 to 2018.
Species data updated November 4, 2026.

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