Click on the fish below for a detailed view.

Burbot
Lota lota

Also known as ling or freshwater cod.

What do they look like? This fish looks like a saltwater ling cod with a long body tapering to a round tail. The head is flat with a long snout and a large mouth. It has a whisker-like "barbel" on its chin and on each of its nostrils. The burbot has two fins on its back, one quite short, the other at least six times longer. Burbot can be many colours from very pale to very dark. They are usually olive coloured with splotchy dark markings on the back and sides and a yellowish belly. The large fins are splotchy and have a dark border. They are very smooth and slippery.

Where do they live? This fish is found all over Europe, Siberia and North America. In BC, burbot are found in lakes and rivers, but they usually spend their time on the bottom of deep, cold lakes.

Food for Thought... If this is their habitat, what would you guess about the way they move (slow or fast) ... why?

What is their life cycle? Burbot lay their eggs in the middle of winter under the ice, generally in January or February. They spawn at night in shallow water over sand or gravel. They do not make a nest - the eggs just drop to the bottom of the lake in shallow water. The eggs hatch after about thirty days and the young fish move into deeper water. Burbot have been known to live up to 20 years but most do not live more than a decade.

Did you know that … Female burbot can carry more than one million eggs!