Red hake
Red hake, also referred to as squirrel hake, are a species of fish belonging to the hake family, closely related to cod, pollack, and haddock. They inhabit the Atlantic Ocean, ranging from the Gulf of St. Lawrence down to the coast of North Carolina. Typically, red hake can grow up to 30 inches (75 centimeters) long and weigh around eight pounds (3.5 kilograms), featuring distinctive red, brown, or greenish scales and a long dorsal fin filament resembling an antenna. These carnivorous fish primarily feed on shrimp, small crustaceans, squid, and herring, with their diet changing seasonally to support their breeding activities.
Mating occurs from May to November, during which females can lay between 500,000 to 2 million eggs in shallow waters, with males fertilizing them shortly after. The eggs float near the surface and hatch within a few days, with young red hake initially relying on yolk sacs before developing the ability to feed on small prey. Although red hake serve as prey for larger aquatic animals and are sometimes caught for human consumption or found in scallop shells, they are not considered a threatened species, despite concerns about overfishing in certain areas. These fish have an average lifespan of at least eight years, making them a noteworthy part of the marine ecosystem.
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Red hake
Red hake are one species of hake, a fish closely related to cod, pollack, and haddock. Hake are well known for their habit of cannibalism, or eating one's own kind. Adult hake frequently prey on younger hake and hake eggs. Red hake may also be known as squirrel hake. They can be found in the Atlantic Ocean.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Gadiformes
Family: Phycidae
Genus: Urophycis
Species: Chuss
Red hake generally grow to be about 30 inches (75 centimeters) long and weigh about eight pounds (3 1/2 kilograms). They have a long, thin filament, or attachment, to their dorsal, or back, fin. This filament looks a lot like an antenna. Each red hake also has a chin barbel, or whisker. Red hake have red, brown, or greenish scales covering the sides of their streamlined bodies.
Like most other fish, red hake need oxygen to survive. They suck water into their mouths, use the oxygen from the water, and release the waste materials through their gills.
During the day, red hake are found at depths of up to 1,000 feet (300 meters) from the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the coast of North Carolina. At night, they move throughout various levels of the water in search of food. As they move, their caudal, or tail, fins swish through the water from side to side and their pectoral, or side, fins paddle back and forth to propel these fish. While some of their fins are moving, some, such as their dorsal and anal, or back and belly, fins, are remaining still to give these fish the balance they need to live in the water.
Red hake are carnivorous, which means they mainly eat meat. They generally feed on shrimp, small crustaceans, squid, and herring. During the summer and fall, their diet is much different than it is during the winter and spring, because they are in much shallower waters for breeding season. During their breeding, red hake usually eat herring, mackerel, horse mackerel, garfish, and pollack.
Like many other fish, red hake are preyed upon by larger aquatic, or water-living, animals. Along with being preyed upon by larger fish and other sea life, red hake are also used by humans. Since they are small and fleshy, their meat often ends up as part of cat food. Fishermen also often find young red hake inside the shells of scallops.
Mating season for red hake takes place in May through November in shallow waters. Female red hake lay their eggs in many batches throughout the summer. Throughout the breeding season, a female red hake may lay between 500,000 and two million eggs. Male red hake swim over these eggs and fertilize them. This process of releasing and fertilizing eggs is known as spawning. Red hake eggs float near the surface of the water and hatch after 1 1/2 to four days. At first, they feed on their tiny yolk sacs. At this point, they do not have fins and do not have intestines. Soon they grow fins and develop intestines. When this happens, young red hake begin catching small crustaceans and tiny squid. By the end of their first year, they are behaving like adult red hake, spending their days on the sea floor and swimming up to feed at night.
Red hake have an average life span of at least eight years. While some areas of red hake may be considered overfished, they are not a threatened species.
Bibliography
“Red Hake.” NOAA Fisheries, www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/red-hake. Accessed 9 May 2024.
“Red Hake.” Animalia, 2024, animalia.bio/red-hake#google‗vignette. Accessed 9 May 2024.