Editing Blue cod (section)

== Identification ==
[[File:Cuvier-15-Vive-Percis.jpg|thumb|left|1828 diagrams by [[Georges Cuvier]]]]
[[File:Parapercis colias Blue Cod Closeup.jpg|alt=Blue Cod Closeup|thumb|left|''Parapercis colias'' female showing brown colour phase, details of the eye and lips.]]

''Parapercis colias'' are [[protogynous hermaphrodites]], which means they have both female and male reproductive organs at the beginning and some females change sex to males later in their life.<ref name="Carbines.b" /> ''P. colias'' is a marine [[Benthic zone|bottom dwelling]] fish that is found in coastal [[New Zealand]] waters.<ref name=MPI2018/>  Their colouring varies on age and sex.<ref name="Paul.b" /> Juveniles start off being generally pale in colour and have two long dark stripes along the sides which will turn brown and barely distinguishable when they become middle-sized fish.<ref name="MPI2018" /><ref name="Paul.a" /><ref name="EoL" />  As they mature with a body length over 25&nbsp;cm, both sexes would have a blueish-grey [[Dorsum (anatomy)|dorsal]] with a white underside.<ref name="MPI2018" />  Females have a tinge of orange and there is a trend for them to become green when they grow larger.<ref name="Paul.b" />  Brownish [[pigment]]s can be found at the base of [[pectoral fin]].<ref name="Paulin1989">{{cite book| last1=Paulin| first1=C.D. | year=1989| title= New Zealand fish, a complete guide |publisher=Te Papa Press }}</ref>  On the other hand, adult males have distinctive blue-grey colour coat with greenish sides<ref name="Paulin1998" /> and a golden brown line can be found above each eye.<ref name="Paul.b" />  Body length of ''P. colias'' is about 30–40&nbsp;cm in general, but can up to 60&nbsp;cm and their weight is 0.8–1.5&nbsp;kg in general, but can up to 3&nbsp;kg.<ref name="Hirt-Chabbert" /><ref name="JiangCarbine" /> Males tend to be larger than females. They can live up to 32 years old.<ref name=MPI2018/>

Heads of ''P. colias'' are prominent and rounded with scales.<ref name="AylingCox" /><ref name="Hirt-Chabbert" /><ref name="McDowall" /><ref name="Paul1993">{{cite book | last1=Paul| first1=L.J. | last2=Moreland| first2=J.M. | last3=Heath | first3=E.W. | year=1993| title=Handbook of New Zealand marine fishes. | publisher=Reed}}</ref>  They have a plump shaped body covered with firm scales.<ref name="Paul.b" /> Above their non expanded cheeks are two large lateral eyes<ref name="McDowall" /> which can rotate independently, this allows them to see almost everywhere around them.<ref name="RH">{{cite book|last1=Whalley-Torckler  |first1=G |last2=Torckler |first2=D |year=2003 |title= Life-size guide to New Zealand fish |publisher=Random House New Zealand}}</ref> ''P. colias'' possess a terminal mouth<ref name="Paulin1989" /> with bulbous lips.<ref name="AylingCox" /><ref name="RH"/> Their [[pelvic fin]]s are generally placed forward on the throat with brown dots appear underneath it.<ref name="Paulin1998" />   There is a single horizontal stripe where ten to twelve scales above across their side of the body.<ref name="Paulin1989" /> The anterior section of their [[dorsal fin]] is small and short,<ref name="Paul.a" /><ref name="Paulin1998" /> followed by fins with five short spines.<ref name="Hirt-Chabbert" />  In contrast their second [[Dorsal fin|dorsal]] is long.<ref name="Paulin1998" /> A [[Identification key|key]] used in an article of Cantwell can distinguish ''P. colias'' from other [[Parapercis|parapercids]].<ref name="Cantwell" />  Key features are listed below:<ref name="Cantwell">{{cite journal | last=Cantwell | first=G. E. | year=1964 | title=A revision of the genus ''Parapercis'', family Mugiloididae | journal=Pacific Science | volume=18 | issue=3 | pages=239–80| url=https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/5533/1/vol18n3-239-280.pdf}}</ref>

*The outer row of lower jaw has eight teeth
*[[Dorsum (anatomy)|Dorsal]] spines longer to the posterior (rear end)
*Soft [[dorsal fin]]s have 20 [[Ray-finned|rays]] and [[anal fins]] with 17
*10 to 11 scales are present from lateral line to base of first soft [[Dorsum (anatomy)|dorsal]] [[Ray-finned|ray]]
*23 to 26 counts of [[gill raker]]s
*[[Caudal fin|Caudal (tail) fins]] have 15 branched [[Ray-finned|rays]] that looks rounded but bi-lobed.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gosline  |first1=W.A. |year=1968  |title=The suborders of perciform fishes |publisher=The United States National Museum| url=https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/17019/1/USNMP-124_3647_1968.pdf}}</ref>

Other characters of detailed [[skeleton]] structures (osteology) of ''[[Parapercis]]'' species can be found in an article written by Gosline.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Gosline |first1=W. A. |year=1963  |title=Notes on the osteology and systematic position of Hypoptychus dybowskii Steindachner and other elongate perciform fishes |url=https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/4929/1/vol17n1-90-101.pdf|journal=[[Pacific Science]]|volume=17|number=1}}</ref>

[[Swim bladder|Swimming bladder]] is usually present in [[Osteichthyes|osteichthyids]],<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kotpal|first1=R. L. |year=2010|title= Modern text book of zoology: vertebrates |publisher= Rastogi Publications }}</ref> it helps the fish to stay at a certain water pressure level (depth) without spending more energy.  [[Swim bladder|Swimming bladder]] in ''P. colias'' are absent.<ref name="Blackwell" />  They will automatically sink to the sea floor if they stop swimming; therefore, they are called [[Benthic zone|bottom-dwelling]] or sedentary bottom-hugging species.<ref name="Thompson" />  Their body shape of having a flattened abdomen indicates this as well.<ref name="Thompson" />   Normally, ''P. colias'' use their [[pectoral fin]] to swim, their body muscles and tails fin are only involved in swimming when a sudden burst or speed is needed, this type of swimming character is called [[Labriform locomotion|labriform]].<ref name="Thompson" />  As a result, their [[pelvic fin]]s, used as props when they are resting on the seabed,<ref name="AylingCox" /> are reduced and thicken.<ref name="Thompson" />  Due to their nature of being [[Benthic zone|bottom-dwelling]] species, sand can clog their gills when they are resting.<ref name="Graham1997">{{cite book|last1=Graham|first1=J.B. |year=1997|title= Air-breathing fishes: evolution, diversity, and adaptation | publisher=Academic Press}}</ref> To remedy this, ''P. colias'' often hold their breath and open their mouths for a long interval like having a yawn to take good gulps of air every now and then.<ref name=Graham1997 />  Speaking of having a yawn, if you look closely you will notice that ''P. colias'' do not have [[Palatine bone|palatine teeth]]<ref name="Paulin1989" /> and only have small teeth; however, you would not want to feel their sharp and well developed [[pharyngeal teeth]] near their throat like their prey.<ref name="Thompson" />

There are some other detailed morphological characteristics inside the body of ''P. colias'' that determine their taxonomy, such as the presence of a lentiform body (an [[Eye|ocular]] [[Blood vessel|vascular]] structure) and others, are mentioned by Eastman.<ref name="Eastman">{{cite journal| last1=Eastman |first1=J.T. | year=2006 | title= Aspects of the morphology of phyletically basal bovichtid fishes of the Antarctic suborder Notothenioidei (Perciformes) |journal= Polar Biology |volume=29 | issue=9 | pages=754–763 | doi=10.1007/s00300-006-0112-y|bibcode=2006PoBio..29..754E |s2cid=7523756 | hdl=1834/17098 | hdl-access=free }}</ref>