Fishes of North Dakota

Cod Family

Almost eel-like in appearance, with a small head and small eyes, it is considered unattractive by most fishermen. There is only one member of the codfish family in our waters.

Burbot
The burbot has a single barbel under its chin, a rounded tail, and spineless anal and dorsal fins that are very long. It appears scaleless but very tiny scales are visible under magnification. Many fishermen discard it because they have not discovered its tasty white flesh. They also have large, vitamin-rich livers. Our fishermen commonly call it ling or sand eel. JPG -- Picture of a Burbot.

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