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Atlantic Cod is the name for the Genus Gadus. It is a very popular food fish world wide and has a mild flavor and dense, flaky white flesh. As a secondary product cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids.

The Atlantic cod, which can change color at certain water depths, has two distinct color phases: gray-green and reddish brown. Its average weight is 11-26 lb, but specimens weighing up to 220 lb have been recorded. Cod feed on mollusks, crabs, starfish, worms, squid, and small fish. Some migrate to warm water in winter to spawn. A large female lays up to five million eggs in mid ocean, a very small number of which survive.

Cod has been an important economic commodity in international markets since the Viking period (around 600 AD) Norwegians traveled with dried and salted cod and soon a dried cod market developed in southern Europe. This market has lasted for more than 1000 years, enduring the Black Death, wars and other crises and is still an important European fish trade. The Portuguese began fishing for cod in the 15th century and are credited with discovering the Canadian fishing banks before Columbus discovered America. To this day about 10% of the worlds fish catch is cod.

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The North American east coast developed in part due to the vast cod stocks. Many cities in the New England area are located near cod fishing grounds. The fish was so important to the history and development of Massachusetts, the state's House of Representatives hung a wooden carving of a codfish, known as the Sacred Cod of Massachusetts in its chambers.

Periodically, a cod with a deformed skull is found; the skull has a distinct top or crown, giving it the name "king cod". In Norway, this rare fish was earlier considered to be able to forecast the weather and was commonly used for that purpose. A woolen thread suspended the fish from the ceiling; its nose would point in a different direction depending on the coming weather. In reality, the thread rather than the fish caused the movement. The twisted thread served as a primitive hygrometer by reacting to the air's humidity, turning the fish as the humidity rose and fell.