Hake

Hake, represented here by the European Hake (Merluccius merluccius), belongs to the family Merlucciidae, a group closely related to true cods but distinguished by their slimmer, more predatory build. It ranges across the northeastern Atlantic from Norway to Mauritania and throughout the Mediterranean Sea, typically along the continental shelf and upper slope. Hake lacks the chin barbel found in true cods and instead has a larger, more elongated head with prominent teeth suited to actively hunting fish and squid. It supports significant commercial fisheries throughout its range and is managed under regional stock assessments, with populations having fluctuated historically in response to fishing pressure.

Hake is distinguished from true cod relatives by several clear physical features.

• Barbel: entirely absent, unlike Atlantic Cod, Haddock, or Pacific Cod
• Mouth: large, wide, lined with numerous sharp teeth suited to active predation
• Dorsal fins: two, with a distinct gap separating the short first fin from the long second fin
• Body: slender and elongated, more streamlined than typical cod-family fish
• Color: uniform silvery-grey above, white below, without strong blotches or spots
• Size: commonly 60-110 cm Its toothy, predatory jaw and lack of a barbel are the clearest ways to separate Hake from cod, haddock, or pollock.

European Hake inhabit continental shelf and upper slope waters of the northeastern Atlantic, from Norway and the North Sea south to West Africa, as well as throughout the Mediterranean Sea. They are typically found at depths ranging from around 30 meters for juveniles to over 500 meters for larger adults, with a general pattern of deeper habitat use as fish grow. Hake favor soft sediment bottoms over open shelf and slope areas rather than rocky reef structure, and undertake seasonal depth and inshore-offshore movements linked to feeding and spawning. Preferred temperatures are cool to temperate, and the species is broadly tolerant of the varied conditions across its wide range.

Hake are active, predatory fish that hunt small schooling fish, squid, and crustaceans in open water above the continental shelf and slope, often moving vertically in the water column between day and night in pursuit of prey migrations. Juveniles tend to occupy shallower shelf waters, gradually shifting to deeper habitat as they mature, sometimes displaying cannibalistic feeding on smaller hake. Spawning occurs primarily in spring and summer at specific offshore grounds, with females releasing large numbers of pelagic eggs that hatch into drifting larvae. Hake do not form tightly cohesive schools like herring but do aggregate loosely around productive feeding grounds, making them an important mid-level predator in shelf and slope ecosystems.