The name is unfortunate. Bastard cod sounds like an insult, but this fish did not choose it. It belongs to the morid cod family, distinct from the true cods of the North Atlantic, and it lives only in the North Island. That is what northern means in its name. It does not occur in colder southern waters. The South Island misses out entirely. A cod with a bad name and a restricted range. This fish can be found in harbours, bays and along rocky coastlines from Northland down to Cook Strait. It likes rocky reefs and sandy bottoms from 10 to 100 metres deep, preferring sheltered bays with mixed substrate. Wharf piles, rocky outcrops, underwater caves and ledges. It hunts near the seafloor at night, using a large mouth to capture small fish, squid and crustaceans. A slow, steady swimmer. Not a sprinter. The firm, white flesh is similar to other cods, but it is rarely seen in fish shops. That is because nobody targets it. It arrives as bycatch in set nets, bottom trawls and rock lobster pots. Recreational fishers catch it occasionally from boats and wharves, but it is not a prized species. No formal stock assessment exists for this fish. That is not unusual. Many New Zealand fish lack formal stock assessments. They are managed by accident, as bycatch in other fisheries, and hope for the best. Localised declines may occur in heavily fished harbours near large cities, but overall populations are considered stable. Several related bastard cod species live in New Zealand waters, each with different geographic ranges. The harbour is murky. The bastard cod swims near the bottom, slow and steady, large mouth open. The net sweeps. The cod is caught. It does not know its name is unfortunate. It does not know it is bycatch. It just wanted to eat a squid. The northern one. The one with the unfortunate name and the perfectly good flesh, living its life in North Island harbours, mostly ignored, mostly fine.