Features: Pacific cod are brown to gray on the back with brown spots or pale areas on the back and sides. They are lighter on their bellies. They have an elongated body with a square caudal fin, three dorsal fins, a chin barbel, and two anal fins. The anal fins are usually white-edged. 

Habitat: They are widely distributed in cooler regions of Pacific and adjacent seas- Japan to the Bering Sea and south to Santa Monica, California. They range in water 7- to 300-fathoms deep, but tend to hang out near the bottom of the water column, regardless of water depth.

Technique: These are the most important trawl-caught bottom fish off British Columbia. They are seldom caught by recreational anglers, but if you are targeting this species the place to fish is over soft substrate. They have a soft mouth so when you set the hook be careful you don't pull it free.