Urophycis regia

Urophycis regia (spotted hake or spotted codling) is a species of phycid hake.

Urophycis regia
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Gadiformes
Family:	Phycidae
Genus:	Urophycis
Species:	U. regia
Binomial name
Urophycis regia (Walbaum, 1792)
Synonyms
Blennius regius Walbaum, 1792 Enchelyopus regalis Bloch & Schneider, 1801 Gadus punctatus Mitchill, 1814 Phycis punctatus (Mitchill, 1814) Urophycis regius (Walbaum, 1792)

Description

The spotted hake can be distinguished by its tapering body, two dorsal fins, and filamentous pelvic fins similar to the white and red hake. It differs from the two, however, but not having a third ray of the dorsal fin prolonged into a filament, by having larger scales, and a larger mouth with the end of the maxillary behind the level of the back of the eye. Its coloration is distinctive, having a black distal half of the dorsal fin with a narrow white margin. The lateral line is black but interrupted by a series of white spots. Its pelvic fins are white.

Distribution and habitat

The spotted codling is found in the northwestern Atlantic from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.^[2]