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Blue cod, 'Parapercis colias'

Image Blue cod, 'Parapercis colias'

TLF ID M008760

This is a colour underwater photograph of a blue cod ('Parapercis colias'), showing its bright blue colouration. The image mostly displays the front part of the cod, especially the head with its large eyes and lips. (Classification - Phylum: Chordata; Class: Actinopterygii; Order: Perciformes; Family: Pinguipedidae.)

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Educational details

Educational value
  • Blue cod ('Parapercis colias') is a temperate, marine fish found only in New Zealand waters. It lives in the shallow waters of rocky coastal areas. Blue cod is also known by many Maori names including rawaru, pakirikiri and kopukopu.
  • Blue cod have three different colour phases throughout their life. The young are white with dark stripes. Later they have just a single stripe along the length of their body. Mature fish become a bluish colour above with white on the undersides. Blue cod reach a maximum size of about 45-60 cm in length.
  • Blue cod are carnivorous and feed mostly on small fish and crabs, which they stalk and swallow whole. They are high on the food chain but ultimately depend on the marine algae that their prey feed upon. Blue cod is a popular recreational fish in New Zealand and its numbers are depleting, probably due to overfishing.
  • Blue cod are born either male or female but have an ability to change gender. This gender change may be promoted by stress hormones and relate to dominant roles in a territory. Generally, the largest fish in a group, usually a male, dominates and defends a territory.
Year level

5; 6; 7; 8

Topics Bony fishes
Learning area
  • Science

Other details

Contributors
  • Contributor
  • Name: University of Waikato
  • Organization: University of Waikato
  • Description: content provider
  • Address: NEW ZEALAND
  • URL: http://www.sciencelearn.org.nz
  • Publisher
  • Name: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Organization: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Description: Publisher
  • Address: VIC, AUSTRALIA
  • URL: http://www.esa.edu.au/
  • Resource metadata contributed by
  • Name: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Organisation: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Address: AUSTRALIA
  • URL: www.esa.edu.au
Access profile
  • Generic
Learning Resource Type
  • Image
Rights
  • © Education Services Australia Ltd 2011 (except where otherwise indicated). You may copy, communicate and adapt this metadata for non-commercial educational purposes provided you retain all acknowledgements associated with the material.