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Cod
Fish may be broadly divided into those with cartilaginous skeletons and those with bony skeletons, and this imposing skeleton is a fine example of the latter. This species is the Atlantic cod Gadus morhua, historically so abundant that it was immortalised in place names such as Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Unfortunately, huge fishing pressure has led to heavy declines and fisheries are now subject to intensive management. Cod are a shoaling species, with the leading fish, or ‘scouts’, controlling the direction of the shoal and consuming more preferred prey than the trailing fish. Spawning shoals are also common, with males and females forming large aggregations. By their nature cod are top predators in their ecosystems, so cod stock collapses have led to trophic cascades and restructured food webs.