Atlantic Tomcod

Also known as Frostfish, Winter Cod, Tomcod

Atlantic tomcod are small coastal codfish that thrive in chilly estuaries and brackish bays, often migrating into freshwater shallows during the depths of midwinter to spawn under ice. Hudson River populations famously evolved rapid genetic resistance to lethal levels of toxic polychlorinated biphenyls through a specific mutation in their aryl hydrocarbon receptors. As vital forage fish, they anchor nearshore food webs by funneling energy from bottom-dwelling invertebrates to larger marine predators.