Editing Eastern freshwater cod (section)

{{Short description|Species of fish}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Eastern freshwater cod
| image = Maccullochella ikei.jpg
| image_caption =
| status = EN
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Butler, G. |date=2019 |title=''Maccullochella ikei'' |volume=2019 |page=e.T12573A123378170 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T12573A123378170.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
| taxon = Maccullochella ikei
| authority = [[Stuart J. Rowland|Rowland]], 1986
}}
The '''eastern freshwater cod''' ('''''Maccullochella ikei'''''), also known as the '''eastern cod''' or '''Clarence River cod''', is a large predatory freshwater fish of the genus ''[[Maccullochella]]'' and the family [[Percichthyidae]], that occur in the coastal [[Clarence River, New South Wales|Clarence River]] system of north-eastern [[New South Wales]]. Eastern freshwater cod are closely related to the [[Murray cod]] of the [[Murray-Darling]] River system, and are considered an icon of the Clarence River system.

A long-lived, slow-growing species, eastern freshwater cod are threatened by [[poaching]] [i.e. illegal take], [[Habitat destruction|habitat degradation]], catastrophic natural events such as [[Bushfires in Australia|bushfires]], and inbreeding from low genetic diversity. They are currently classified as [[endangered]] and protected by law from human exploitation of any kind.