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The burbot from old french barbot, is the only freshwater (cod-like) fish. It is also known as a mariah, lawyer, and eelpout, and closely related to the common ling.
The burbot is a tenacious predator and can be a nuisance fish in waters where it is not native. The Utah DWR has instituted a "No Release" "Catch and Kill" regulation for the burbot in Utah waters.
They eat mostly other fish. That include sculpins, perch, walleye, bass, kokanee, even lake trout. They also eat fish eggs, clams, and crayfish.
Burbot are adapted to thrive in cold waters, typically avoiding water temperatures in excess of 55 degrees.
Burbot spawn during mid-winter into early spring, under the ice. They spawn in pairs or sometimes in a ball of many fish. The spawning site is usually in fairly shallow water over sand or gravel bottoms. There is no nest built and there is no care for the eggs or the newly hatched young. For more info on the burbot or any other species found in Utah, check our our Utah Field Guide on our outdoors page at KSLTV.com
