European hake
European hake, also known as Cornish salmon and herring hake, are a species closely related to cod and haddock, belonging to the Merlucciidae family. Found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, these bottom-dwelling fish typically inhabit depths between 300 and 2,640 feet (90 to 800 meters). They exhibit a nocturnal lifestyle, swimming upwards at night to hunt for prey such as squid and smaller fish. Adult European hake can grow to lengths of two to three feet (60 to 90 centimeters) and weigh up to 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms).
Their diet consists mainly of carnivorous items, including shrimp and small crustaceans, with a seasonal shift to larger fish during the breeding period in spring and summer. Spawning occurs at depths over 600 feet (180 meters), where females release numerous free-floating eggs that are fertilized by males. After about a week, the eggs hatch, and the young hake initially rely on their yolk sacs for nourishment before developing the ability to hunt. With an average lifespan of about 10 years, European hake play a significant role in the commercial fish market, caught and consumed by humans around the world.
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European hake
European hake are also known as Cornish salmon and herring hake. These fish are closely related to cod, pollack, haddock, and other hake species. Like other hake, European hake often display cannibalistic behavior. Cannibalism is the act of eating one's own kind. Adult hake frequently prey on younger hake and hake eggs.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Gadiformes
Family: Merlucciidae
Genus: Merluccius
Species: Merluccius
European hake are found in the eastern waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. As bottom-dwellers, they generally live at depths of between 300 and 2,640 feet (90 and 800 meters). At night, European hake swim upwards through the water, searching for prey such as squid and smaller fish. This lifestyle of sleeping during the day and hunting at night is known as being nocturnal.
Like most other fish, European hake need oxygen to survive. They take water into their mouths, use the oxygen from the water, and release the waste materials through their gills.
European hake grows to about two or three feet (60 or 90 centimeters) long and may weigh up to 10 pounds (4 1/2 kilograms). These cold-water fish move through the North Atlantic using their many fins. While their caudal, or tail, fins are moving from side to side to propel these fish, their dorsal and anal, or back and belly, fins are working together to keep them balanced in the water.
These fish, which travel in large schools, or groups, are important in the commercial fish market. They are caught, sold, and eaten by humans.
European hake are carnivorous. This means they mainly eat meat. Their diet includes shrimp, small crustaceans, and herring. During the spring and summer, their diets change because they move to shallower waters for the breeding season. During this time, they eat mostly herring, mackerel, horse mackerel, garfish, and pollack.
European hake spawn at depths of more than 600 feet (180 meters). Females deposit large numbers of free-floating eggs. Male European hake swim over these eggs and fertilize them. This process of releasing and fertilizing eggs is called spawning. European hake eggs float near the water’s surface and hatch after one week. When they begin their lives, they survive on the nourishment of their tiny yolk sacs. At this point, they have no fins or intestines. Soon, they develop these features and begin catching and eating small crustaceans and tiny squid. After one year, they spend their days on the sea floor and their nights searching for food.
European hake has an average lifespan of about 10 years.
Bibliography
"European Hake." The IUCN Red List, www.iucnredlist.org/species/198562/84946555. Accessed 1 May 2024.
"Merluccius Merluccius (Linnaeus, 1758)." Fish Base, www.fishbase.se/summary/Merluccius-merluccius. Accessed 1 May 2024.
Nuñez, Emily. "A Tale of Two Hake." Oceana International, 27 Dec. 2021, oceana.org/blog/a-tale-of-two-hake. Accessed 1 May 2024.