What is the scientific name of the Atlantic cod?

The scientific name of the Atlantic cod is Gadus morhua.

Atlantic cod belongs to the cod family, Gadidae, and was named by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. The genus name Gadus includes Atlantic cod, Pacific cod, and Greenland cod, but “cod” in everyday seafood language can also refer to unrelated fish, so the common name is not always taxonomically precise.

The species is native to the North Atlantic, ranging from waters off North America and Greenland to northern Europe and the Barents Sea. It has long supported major commercial fisheries and has been an important food fish for coastal communities. Atlantic cod can live for up to about 25 years and may grow considerably larger than typical market fish.

Gadus morhua is often confused with Gadus chalcogrammus, the scientific name of Alaska pollock, or with Salmo salar, the Atlantic salmon. Those are different species and belong to different genera. The name “Atlantic cod” specifically identifies this North Atlantic member of Gadus.