HEAD:
Summary: Head large, relatively broad, narrowed anteriorly, fitting about 3 times into body
length. Interorbital wide, 1½ times wider than diameter of eye, very slightly convex; interorbital
space 18 to 25% of head length. Snout blunt, projecting beyond mouth. Mouth moderately large,
terminal; lower jaw shorter than upper. Chin with a well developed barbel about equal to eye diameter
in length. Eye moderate, about ½ snout length in adult, fitting approximately 6 times into head
length. Gill openings very wide, extending upward to at least the level of the pectoral fins. Gills 4 in
number, with a slit behind the fourth; no pseudobranchiae present. Gill rakers of moderate size, about
equal to pupil in length, 3 + 17 in number. Edge of preopercle usually covered by skin. Lateral
line pores present on head.
Literature: Jordan and Evermann 1898:
Reference to family Gadidae: Page 2531(text) -"...mouth large,
terminal; chin with a barbel, more or less developed. Gill openings very wide. Gill membranes
separated or somewhat united, commonly free from the isthmus..." "Gills 4, a slit behind the
fourth. No pseudobranchiae. Edge of preopercle usually covered by skin of head." References
to genus Gadus: Page 2532 (key) - "Lower jaw included; barbel well
developed..." Page 2540 (text) -"Head narrowed anteriorly; mouth moderate..."
"...chin with a barbel..."
Reference to Gadus morhua (as Gadus callarias) and Gadus macrocephalus:
Page 2540 (key) - "Eye moderate, about ½ snout in adult..."
Reference to Gadus macrocephalus: Page 2541 (text) -"Head 3 in body...""...eye 6 in head..." "
Head large, the snout blunt; mouth large...""...snout projecting beyond mouth, lower jaw included..."
"Interorbital wide, 1½ times wider than diameter of eye, very slightly convex. Gill rakers
moderate, about equal to pupil in length, 3 + 17 in number."
Eschmeyer and Herald 1983:
References to Gadus macrocephalus: Page 97 (text) - "Note the chin barbel (length about
equal to eye diameter)." Plate 11 (caption) -"Chin barbel."
Cohen et al. 1990:
Reference to family Gadidae: Pages 13 (key) -"Gill openings extending upward to at least the level of the pectoral fins."
Page 18 (text) - "Gill openings extend upward above the level of the pectoral fins."
References to genus Gadus: Page 21 (key) - "Eye smaller, less than snout length.
Mouth generally horizontal to moderately oblique." Page 22 (key) -"Lateral line pores
present on head." "Upper jaw longer than lower." Page 41 (text) - "Lower jaw
shorter than upper..." "Chin barbel well developed." "...lateral line pores present
on head." Reference to Gadus macrocephalus: Page 41 (key) - "Head relatively
broad, interorbital space 18 to 25% of head length." Page 42 (text) -"Head relatively
broad; interorbital space 18 to 25% of head length."