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Common mora (Mora moro) — Moridae

Common mora

Mora moro
Family: Moridae
LC · Least Concern

The Common mora (Mora moro) is a saltwater fish of the family Moridae that grows up to 80 cm.

Length
80 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
50.0–2500.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The common mora is a robust deep-sea fish of the family Moridae (deep-sea cods) reaching about 80 cm. The stout, grey-brown body has a strong, broad head with large eyes, a terminal mouth and two dorsal fins, the second of which is long. The species lives benthopelagically along continental slopes in cool, deep waters worldwide, including the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, usually from tens to more than two thousand metres. Close to the bottom it hunts fish, squid and crustaceans. Through deep-sea fishing it is sometimes landed as bycatch; the flesh is edible but little sought after. Because of its deep-sea life it is rarely observed up close.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Common mora?

The Common mora has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Common mora live?

The Common mora lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around open water.

How big does the Common mora get?

The Common mora grows to a maximum of about 80 cm. On average the species is around 45 cm.

Is the Common mora dangerous to humans?

No, the Common mora is harmless to humans.

Is the Common mora edible?

The Common mora is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Gewone mora inferred
English name
Common mora verified
Scientific name
Mora moro
Family
Moridae
Other names
Common mora; Deepsea cod; Ghost cod; Goodly-eyed cod verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
80.0 verified
Average length (cm)
45.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Straight inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No verified
Dorsal fins
Two separate sourced
Dorsal spines
No verified

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Open water sourced
Min depth (m)
50.0 verified
Max depth (m)
2500.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore verified
Social behaviour
Small groups verified
Territorial
No verified
Activity
Nocturnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes verified
Sexual dimorphism
No verified

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten verified
Fishing method
Sportvissen met kunstaas of (dood/levend) aasvis door te trollen, te werpen of drijvend te vissen in open water. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

More from the family Moridae

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