The navaga (Eleginus nawaga) is a relatively small species of fish in the cod family Gadidae. It inhabits the European arctic and subarctic waters of the Barents, White, and Kara seas, from the Kola Bay to the Ob River estuary.[1][2]

Navaga
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Gadiformes
Family: Gadidae
Genus: Eleginus
Species:
E. nawaga
Binomial name
Eleginus nawaga
(Walbaum, 1792)
Synonyms
  • Gadus nawaga Walbaum, 1792

Navaga fish usually occur at shallow depths, along shores with soft bottoms, close to the ice and on the continental shelf. In winter, they live in nearshore waters, where spawning takes place. They are often found in estuaries and can enter fresh water in rivers. In summer, they return to open waters. They feed on crustaceans, benthic animals, and small fish. They can grow to at least to 42 cm but typical adult size is smaller, being only 15–25 cm in the White Sea.[1]

The navaga is commercially fished mainly in the winter in the bays of the White Sea.[1] The European navaga is a close relative of the saffron cod (E. gracilis), a Pacific sister species.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Daniel M. Cohen; Tadashi Inada; Tomio Iwamoto & Nadia Scialabba, eds. (1990). FAO species catalogue. Vol. 10. Gadiform fishes of the world (Order Gadiformes). An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Cods, Hakes, Grenadiers and other Gadiform Fishes Known to Date. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. pp. 36–37. ISBN 978-92-5-102890-2.
  2. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Eleginus nawaga". FishBase. February 2022 version.
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