The North Atlantic codling (''Lepidion eques'') is a
species of fish in the family
Moridae.
Name
The specific name ''
eques
Eques, ''horseman'' or ''rider'' in Latin, may refer to:
* Equites, a member of the Roman Equestrian order
* the Latin word for a knight
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or ...
'' means "knight", referring to the
plume-like protuberance on its head; this is also reflected in the Icelandic name ''bláriddari'' and Danish name ''blå ridder'', both meaning "blue knight."
Description
The North Atlantic codling is pink-brown in colour with a blue tinge;
albinos are common. It is up to in length. Its posterior
nostril is immediately anterior to the eye. There are 55–60 dorsal finrays and 50–54 anal finrays. It has a
lateral line
The lateral line, also called the lateral line organ (LLO), is a system of sensory organs found in fish, used to detect movement, vibration, and pressure gradients in the surrounding water. The sensory ability is achieved via modified epithelial ...
with
pit organs but no pores, and 8–13
pyloric caeca.
Habitat
The North Atlantic codling lives in the
North Atlantic Ocean; it is
benthopelagic, living at depths of .
Behaviour
The North Atlantic codling feeds on
crustaceans and
polychaetes.
It usually swims close to sandy bottoms and exhibits station holding behavior.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q10436304
Moridae
Fish described in 1887
Taxa named by Albert Günther