Pacific hake
| Pacific hake | ||||||||||||
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Pacific hake ( Merluccius productus ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Merluccius productus | ||||||||||||
| ( Ayres , 1855) |
The Pacific hake ( Merluccius productus ), also known as the North Pacific hake , is a species of the hake (Merlucciidae) that is native to the northeastern Pacific .
features
The fish can grow to a length of 90 centimeters and a weight of around 1.2 to 1.3 kilograms. The fish, which are silvery on the back and increasingly whitish towards the belly, have a relatively short head. The pectoral fins usually reach the base of the anal fin or a little beyond. The caudal fin is concave. The two-part dorsal fin has 49 to 57 fin rays. The anal fin consists of 40 to 43 fin rays.
distribution
This species is found in the northeast Pacific, from Vancouver Island to north of Baja California . Reports of observations in the Gulf of Alaska are dubious.
Way of life
They live both near the coast and in the open sea. Adult specimens group in larger swarms, preferring to stay above the continental shelf and the continental slopes. At night they hunt other fish. They themselves are also an important source of food for seals, sharks and smaller whales. The fish travel hundreds of kilometers from the coast to spawn.
Systematics
Merluccius productus is one of 15 species of the genus Merluccius within the hake (Merlucciidae).
supporting documents
literature
- Antal Vida: 365 fish ; Tandem Verlag 2006, ISBN 3-8331-2070-3 , page 180.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Merluccius productus on Fishbase.org (English)
