Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Gadiformes
(Cods) > Phycidae
Etymology: Urophycis: Greek, oura = tail + Greek, phyke, pykis, -idos = the female of a fish that lives among algae (Greek = phykon), related with the gudgeon (Ref. 45335).
Environment / Climate / Range
Marine; demersal; non-migratory; depth range 0 - 494 m (Ref. 57178), usually 110 - 185 m (Ref. 1371). Subtropical; 52°N - 23°N, 90°W - 53°W (Ref. 56857)
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 41.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 1371); common length : 17.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 1371)
spines: 0. Upper limb of the first gill arch with 2 or 3 rakers. Head with a series of dark spots; opercle with a dusky blotch. First dorsal fin with a dark blotch and a distinct white margin.
Northwest Atlantic: Canada to southern New England to the northeast coast of Florida; also found in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico.
Found onshore, most common between 110 and 185 m. Feed on crustaceans, and possibly fish and squids. Juveniles spend part of their time in estuaries.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Cohen, D.M., T. Inada, T. Iwamoto and N. Scialabba, 1990. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 10. Gadiform fishes of the world (Order Gadiformes). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cods, hakes, grenadiers and other gadiform fishes known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(10). Rome: FAO. 442 p. (Ref. 1371)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 96402)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Threat to humans
Fisheries: minor commercial
Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805
= 0.5044 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00661 (0.00333 - 0.01312), b=3.15 (2.98 - 3.32), based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)Family-body shape (Ref. 93245
Trophic Level (Ref. 69278
): 4.4 ±0.0 se; Based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref. 69278
): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref. 59153
): Moderate vulnerability (36 of 100) .