Black Cod is commonly known as sable fish in the United States and gets its name from the dark color of its skin. Although it resembles a cod, it is actually not a member of the codfish family. It is a member of the Anoplopomatidae, a group of fish confined to the North Pacific. Usually caught in muddy banks, black cod can be caught at depths of 3,000 feet. The average commercially-caught black cod measures about two feet long and weighs a little less than 10 pounds. Around 40,000 tons are caught each year in North America from the coast of California to Alaska. It is highly prized in Japan and getting a larger following in the United States. The black cod is extremely flavorful, because of its high fat content. It has a large flake, velvety texture and cooks up to a snowy white. It is often mistakenly called butterfish, because of its rich flavor. The fats are also highly polyunsaturated and thus well-suited for low cholesterol diets. It is easily prepared in a variety of cooking methods and is excellent smoked. Caught by long-line or with pots in the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska. The Alaska black cod season opens in mid-March and runs through mid-November.