Not a true cod. Have prominent eye ridges on the head. The Maori chief is a large bottom-living fish not too dissimilar to the Maori cod. It has a large mouth, a prominent bony ridge above each eye, a rounded caudal fin, and two lateral lines which overlap slightly. The first dorsal fin is small with only six spines. The Maori chief is dark grey or green above, mottled with blue-black, and is yellow on the belly. There are numerous small grey spots and streaks on the head suggesting the complex tattoos once worn by Māori chiefs, and the fins are grey with some darker mottling.

The Maori chief, Notothenia angustata, is a cod icefish in the genus Notothenia found in the southern ocean between New Zealand and Chile south to the Antarctic, at depths down to 100 m in rocky reef areas. Its length is between 30 and 65 cm. Also present off Southern South America. Black Cod are the northern-most relative of the huge Antartic Cod that can grow over 100kg! Juveniles found in rock pools.

Feeds on squids, other invertebrates, and small fishes.

Scientists are doing extensive research looking at antifreeze components in Antartic fish, Black Cod have part of the DNA sequence for this fish antifreeze.

A Treasury of New Zealand Fishes: Graham
Paulin, C. and C. Roberts, 1992. The rockpool fishes of New Zealand (Te ika aaria o Aotearoa). Museum of New Zealand (Te Papa Tongarewa). 177 p.