pelagic cod
Melanonus gracilis Günther, 1878
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The pelagic cod (Melanonus gracilis) is a small deepwater fish found in the Southern Ocean. It is one of only two species currently classified in the family Melanonidae, the other being the arrowtail, Melanonus zugmayeri.
The pelagic cod is found in subantarctic and temperate waters, occasionally being caught in the tropics. It may be found at depths between 150 and 3600 m. It is from the order Gadiformes, related to true cods. It may grow up to 19 cm in length. It has no commercial value.
Wikipedia contributors, Pelagic cod; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T02:54:29.910334+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Melanonus gracilis Günther, 1878
- Name authority
- Günther, 1878
- Common name
- pelagic cod
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Gadiformes
- Family
- Melanonidae
- Genus
- Melanonus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderGadiformes
- familyMelanonidae Goode & Bean, 1896
- genusMelanonus Günther, 1878
- speciesMelanonus gracilis Günther, 1878
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Melanonus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Pelagic codMelanonus zugmayeri Norman, 1930 | MelanonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Melanonus okamurai Li, 2011 | MelanonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Melanosoma acutecaudatum Gilchrist, 1902 Gilchrist, 1902 | synonym |
| Melanonosoma acutecaudatum Gilchrist, 1902 Gilchrist, 1902 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Günther, A. (1878). Preliminary notices of deep-sea fishes collected during the voyage of H. M. S. `Challenger. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 5), 2 (nos 7/8/9)(art. 2/22/28): 17–28, 179–187, 248–251. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222937808682376 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:72XJ8. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.