Cod - Camouflage

Dispatch Method:

Beware of the sharp gill covers and dorsal spines of camouflage cod when handling them. Camouflage 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:

• A chocolate brown grouper covered in small darker brown spots, with whitish blotches around the upper body which form oblique bands. Sometimes with a dark saddle-like marking on the upper base of the caudal peduncle.
  
• The camouflage cod is often confused with the flowery cod (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus), but differs from the latter species in having more distinct oblique bands, a larger spot on the tail base, and fewer pectoral fin rays.
  
• A slow growing, long lived species, camouflage cod mature at around 4-5 years old and 40-50 cm long, and may live for over 30 years.
  
• Camouflage cod feed mainly on crustaceans (crabs and shrimp) and fishes, larger fish will also opportunistically feed on cephalopods and gastropods. This species has been occasionally implicated in cases of ciguatera in some parts of its range.

Fish Distribution:

• This species occurs on coral reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific region from the Red Sea and east coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean, through northern Australia as far east as French Polynesia and north to Japan.
  
• It is usually found in coral-rich areas of lagoon and outer reefs, particularly around atolls, where it may be encountered in caves, crevices or under large ledges to depths up to around 60 meters (180 feet).
  
• Camouflage cod usually occur in small schools, but larger fish may be solitary unless aggregating during spawning. This species is particularly vulnerable when targeted by fishing during spawning aggregations.

Fish Size Common Length:

30-50 cm (12-20 inches), maximum size around 90 cm (3 feet) and 10 kg in weight.