North Atlantic codling

The morid cod, largeye lepidion, or North Atlantic codling (Lepidion eques) is a species of fish in the family Moridae.^[1][3][4] The Catalog of Fishes considers it a synonym of Lepidion lepidion.^[5]

North Atlantic codling
Illustration from Report on the deep-sea fishes collected by H.M.S. Challenger during the years 1873–1876
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Gadiformes
Family:	Moridae
Genus:	Lepidion
Species:	L. eques
Binomial name
Lepidion eques (Günther, 1887)
Synonyms[2]
Haloporphyrus eques Günther, 1887

Name

The specific name eques means "knight", referring to the plume-like protuberance on its head; this is also reflected in the Icelandic name bláriddari and Danish name blå ridder, both meaning "blue knight."^[6]

Description

Illustration of fish from the Danish Ingolf-Expedition, 1899. The North Atlantic codling is at bottom right.

The North Atlantic codling is pink-brown in colour with a blue tinge; albinos are common.^[7] It is up to 44 cm (1.44 ft) in length.^[8] Its posterior nostril is immediately anterior to the eye. There are 55–60 dorsal finrays and 50–54 anal finrays. It has a lateral line with pit organs but no pores, and 8–13 pyloric caeca.^[9]

Habitat

The North Atlantic codling lives in the North Atlantic Ocean; it is benthopelagic, living at depths of 120–1,900 m (390–6,230 ft).^{[1][3][10][11][12]}

Behaviour

The North Atlantic codling feeds on crustaceans and polychaetes.^[2] It usually swims close to sandy bottoms and exhibits station holding behavior.^[13][14]