Merluccius merluccius (Linnaeus, 1758)
European hake
Merluccius merluccius
photo by Svensen, R.

 Family:  Merlucciidae (Merluccid hakes), subfamily: Merlucciinae
 Max. size:  140 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 15 kg; max. reported age: 20 years
 Environment:  demersal; depth range 30 - 1075 m
 Distribution:  Eastern Atlantic: Norway and Iceland, southward to Mauritania. Also in the Mediterranean Sea and along the southern coast of the Black Sea.
 Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 43-51; Anal soft rays: 36-40. Inside of mouth and branchial cavity black. Second dorsal and anal fins notched. First vertebra and neural spine attached to skull. Vertebrae 50-52.
 Biology:  Found usually between 70 and 370 m depth. Adults live close to the bottom during day-time, but move off-bottom at night. Adults feed mainly on fish (small hakes, anchovies, pilchard, herrings, cod fishes, sardines and gadoid species) and squids. The young feed on crustaceans (especially euphausiids and amphipods). Are batch spawners (Ref. 51846). Almost entirely marketed fresh, whole or filleted, to specialized restaurants or retail markets (Ref. 58452). Utilized fresh, dried or salted and frozen; can be steamed, fried, microwaved and baked (Ref. 9988). Stocks seem to be over-fished (Ref. 35388).
 IUCN Red List Status:   (Ref. 96402)
 Threat to humans:  harmless
 Country info:   
 

 Entered by: Froese, Rainer - 17.10.90
 Modified by: OrtaƱez, Auda Kareen - 13.02.13

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