Lotidae is a family of fishes of the order Gadiformes. There are two dorsal fins. The second dorsal and anal fins reach the caudal fin, but do not merge with it. There is a tendril on the chin. In the genus is one species - Lota lota. Distinguish up to 3 subspecies or consider the species monotypic. Exclusively freshwater species. Inhabits rivers and lakes in Europe, Siberia and North America. Cold-loving, large fish, body length of more than 1 m and weight up to 32 kg. Lives in rivers and cold lakes, usually with rocky and sandy bottoms. Breeds in winter from December to February. Eggs are small, not sticky, hatched on the bottom. Predator. It feeds mainly on fish. It has an important commercial value. In contrast to cod, Lotidae have one or two dorsal fins and only one anal fin. In this case, the second dorsal and anal fins are long and their rear ends are converged or merged with a rounded caudal fin. The head of these fish is usually flattened, and, in addition to the antennae on the chin, some species have antennae at the nostrils and on the snout. Most species of the family inhabit the waters of the northern hemisphere. These are sedentary fish that do not make long migrations and do not form large aggregations. The family includes about 30 species.