Topic: Costal cod - north of the 62 latitude

There are several local cod stocks along the Norwegian coastline from Stad to the Russian border. The share of coastal cod compared to Northeast Arctic cod is increasing from north to south. The amount (numbers and biomass), however, increases from the south to the north, and around 75 % of the coastal cod lives north of the 67 latitude.

Coastal cod lives from the kelp forests to deeper waters down towards 500 meter. This cod spawns in most of the fjords or in fjord arms in bigger fjord systems, however it might also have spawning areas similar to the spawning areas for Northeast Arctic cod. Coastal cod settles in shallow waters and rarely moves down to deeper waters until its two years old. It matures earlier than Northeast Arctic cod, grows faster and straddles less.

Coastal cod is distinguished from Northeast Arctic cod by means of the structure of the growth zones of the earstones (otoliths).