The Tadpole cod is a deepwater fish found in the oceanic islands off New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 and in the mid South Atlantic

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

 at depths ranging from 1200 - 1600 m.

The tadpole cod is a member of the family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 Moridae

Moridae

Moridae is a family of cod-like fishes, known as codlings, hakelings, and moras.Morids are marine fishes found throughout the world, and may be found at depths of up to , although most prefer shallower waters...

, the Morid cods, related to the true cod

Cod

Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...

s (of genus Gadus, family Gadidae

Gadidae

Gadidae is a family of marine fish, included in the order Gadiformes. It includes the cod, haddock, whiting, and pollock.Most species of gadid are found in temperate waters of the northern hemisphere, although there are some exceptions. They are generally medium sized fish, and are distinguished...

). Like the familiar Atlantic cod

Atlantic cod

The Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, is a well-known demersal food fish belonging to the family Gadidae. It is also commercially known as cod, codling or haberdine....

, it has small whiskers on its mouth (barbel

Barbel (anatomy)

A barbel on a fish is a slender, whiskerlike tactile organ near the mouth. Fish that have barbels include the catfish, the carp, the goatfish, sturgeon, the zebrafish and some species of shark...

s), which is presumably why it was given the name cod. Specimens have been measured up to 18 cm. It has no commercial value, and is not currently believed to be endangered. Not much is known about this species, being discovered in 1986.

The tadpole cod is distinct from the tadpole fish, Raniceps raninus. This fish was formerly classified in the family Ranicipitidae, called the Tadpole cods, as its sole member. The family was placed in a different order of fish, the Ophidiiformes

Ophidiiformes

Ophidiiformes is an order of ray-finned fish that includes the cusk eels , pearlfishes , brotulas , and others....

(cusk-eels and brotulas). However it is now regarded as a member of the same family as cods, Gadidae.