The largest Australian predatory freshwater fish in the family Percichthyidae
This article is about the Australian freshwater fish. It is not to be confused with Cod.
Murray cod
Conservation status
Vulnerable (EPBC Act)[1]
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Perciformes
Family:
Percichthyidae
Genus:
Maccullochella
Species:
M. peelii
Binomial name
Maccullochella peelii
(T. L. Mitchell, 1838)
Synonyms
Acerina peelii T. L. Mitchell, 1838
Maccullochella peelii peelii (T. L. Mitchell, 1838)
The Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii) is a large Australian predatory freshwater fish of the genus Maccullochella in the family Percichthyidae.[3] Although the species is called a cod in the vernacular, it is not related to the Northern Hemisphere marine cod (Gadus) species. The Murray cod is an important part of Australia's vertebrate wildlife—as an apex predator in the Murray-Darling River system—and also significant in Australia's human culture.[4] The Murray cod is the largest exclusively freshwater fish in Australia, and one of the largest in the world. Other common names for Murray cod include cod, greenfish, goodoo, Mary River cod, Murray perch, ponde, pondi and Queensland freshwater cod.[3]
The scientific name of Murray cod derives from an early Australian fish researcher Allan Riverstone McCulloch and the river from which the explorer Major Mitchell first scientifically described the species, the Peel River.[3] This was for a number of years changed to M. peelii peelii to differentiate Murray cod from Mary River cod, which were designated as a subspecies of Murray cod. However, as of 2010, Mary River cod have been raised to full species status (M. mariensis), thus Murray cod have reverted simply to M. peelii.[5]
Murray cod populations have declined severely since European colonisation of Australia due to a number of causes, including severe overfishing, river regulation, and habitat degradation and are now a listed threatened species. However, they once inhabited almost the entire Murray-Darling basin, Australia's largest river system, in very great numbers.
A long-lived fish, adult Murray cod are carnivorous and eat crustaceans (shrimp, yabbies, crays), fish and freshwater mussels.[4][6] The species exhibits a high degree of parental care for their eggs, which are spawned in the spring and are generally laid in hollow logs or on other hard surfaces. Murray cod are a popular angling target and aquaculture species. Often available through the aquarium trade, they are also a popular aquarium species in Australia.[7]
^"Maccullochella peelii — Murray Cod". Species Profile and Threats Database. 3 July 2003. Archived from the original on 23 August 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
^Gilligan, D.; Zampatti, B.; Lintermans, M.; Koehn, J.; Butler, G.; Brooks, S. (2019). "Maccullochella peelii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T12576A103325360. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T12576A103325360.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
^ abcDianne J. Bray & Vanessa J. Thompson (2011) Murray Cod, Maccullochella peelii. Fishes of Australia. Retrieved 29 August 2014
^ abHumphries, Paul (2023). The Life and Times of the Murray cod. Melbourne: CSIRO Publishing. p. 256. ISBN 9781486312320.
^Nock, C. J.; Elphinstone M. S.; Rowland S. J. & Baverstock, P. R. (2010). "Phylogenetics and revised taxonomy of the Australian freshwater cod genus, Maccullochella (Percichthyidae)". Marine and Freshwater Research. 61 (9): 980–991. doi:10.1071/MF09145.
^Doyle, Katherine (2012). Can native Australian percichthyid fishes control invasive common carp (Cyprinus carpio)?. Brisbane: The University of Queensland.
^Cite error: The named reference nfacod was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
species is called a cod in the vernacular, it is not related to the Northern Hemisphere marine cod (Gadus) species. The Murraycod is an important part...
called "cod" include: Blue cod Parapercis colias Eastern freshwater cod Maccullochella ikei Mary River cod Maccullochella peelii mariensis Murraycod Maccullochella...
Percichthyidae, closely related to the Murraycod. It was originally widespread in the south-east corner of the Murray-Darling river system in Australia,...
north-eastern New South Wales. Eastern freshwater cod are closely related to the Murraycod of the Murray-Darling River system, and are considered an icon...
Cod liver oil is a dietary supplement derived from liver of cod fish (Gadidae). As with most fish oils, it contains the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic...
and salted cod, sometimes referred to as salt cod or saltfish or salt dolly, is cod which has been preserved by drying after salting. Cod which has been...
unrelated to the true cods in the order Gadiformes. Neither are they closely related to the Australian freshwater cods such as the Murraycod of the genus Maccullochella...
The Murray and its tributaries support a variety of river life adapted to its vagaries. This includes native fish such as the famous Murraycod, trout...
cod of the Mary River in southern Queensland. All naturally occurring Maccullochella cod in east coast drainages ultimately originate from Murraycod...
The Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Gadidae. It is a bottom-dwelling fish found in the northern Pacific...
versatile alternative to cod and haddock. However, in recent years,[when?] pollock has become more popular due to overfishing of cod and haddock. It can now...
"midland" habitats with species such as Murraycod and golden perch, and its upland habitats with species such as trout cod and Macquarie perch. It is a popular...
Cape Cod is an arm-shaped peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States...
unbalanced. Declan had 50 minutes to cook with Murraycod, alliums and dried spices, cooking a grilled Murraycod and charred leek with onion jam and crispy...
(disambiguation) Murray Building, a 1960s government building in Hong Kong, re-opened in 2018 as The Murray hotel Murraycod, a freshwater fish in Australia Murray polygon...
the shift of young from female to male. More recently the Australian Murraycod has been seen maintaining pair bonds over 3 years. Pair bonding may also...
(American English) are a processed food made using a whitefish, such as cod, hake, haddock, or pollock, which has been battered or breaded. They are...
Murray-Darling river system (Murraycod, M. peelii, and trout cod, M. macquariensis) and 4 East Coast river systems (eastern freshwater cod, M. ikei, of the Clarence...
cod, the Pacific cod and the Greenland cod. Although there is a fourth species of the cod genus Gadus, Alaska pollock, it is commonly not called cod and...
common name) while that of P. pollachius is similar to other members of the cod family. This dark colour in the fresh uncooked flesh may have led to the...
Australian freshwater cods (Maccullochella spp.), which are Murraycod, Mary River cod, eastern freshwater cod, and trout cod, by the Australian freshwater...
whitefish, usually cod, but sometimes ling or burbot, cured in lye. It is made from aged stockfish (air-dried whitefish), or dried and salted cod. The fish takes...
found in sympatry with Murraycod. The Macquaria perches, of which golden perch are one, continue the trend present in Murray–Darling native fish genera...
17 May 2022 Pressure Test: Alla Wolf-Tasker's Summer Cucumbers with MurrayCod — Harry, Jenn, Minoli and Sarah traveled to Alla Wolf-Tasker's Lake House...
less than 5 kg and 70 cm. Very similar in appearance to Murraycod and eastern freshwater cod, they are striking looking, golden-yellow to dark green...
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