Dispatch Method:

Beware of the sharp gill covers and dorsal spines of blackfin cod when handling them. Blackfin cod and other rock cods have similar brain locations and all can be very tolerant of air exposure. To maximise their eating qualities they should be killed humanely by iki jime, or a firm knock to the head before placing them in an ice slurry after bleeding.

Fish Description:

• Blackfin cod are a small to medium sized grouper with long anterior spines on the dorsal fin, and many evenly-spaced brown spots on the head and fins that form hexagonal shapes on the sides.
  
• Small juveniles are black with white blotches on the dorsal fin, becoming more spotted with age.
  
• Blackfin cod are protogynous hermaphrodites that mature first as a female before changing to male.

Fish Distribution:

• This species occurs around coral and rocky reefs in many parts of the Indo-Pacific region from the eastern Indian Ocean north to Japan and south to Samoa and south eastern Australia.
  
• Juveniles are found in shallow coral rubble, whilst adults are often found around isolated coral heads in lagoons and seaward reefs to depths of around 80 meters.
  
• This species feeds mainly on small fishes, crustaceans, and cephalopods.

Fish Size Common Length:

25 to 45 cm, maximum size 60 cm and around 3 kg.