Pacific Hake

The Pacific hake (Merluccius productus), also known as Pacific whiting, is a slender, silvery member of the hake family (Merlucciidae) found throughout the northeastern Pacific Ocean, from the Gulf of Alaska south to Baja California. Unlike bottom-hugging Gadidae such as cod, Pacific hake spend much of their time in open midwater, forming large migratory schools that move between coastal spawning grounds and deeper offshore feeding areas. It is one of the most abundant groundfish species along the U.S. and Canadian Pacific coast, undertaking extensive seasonal north-south migrations each year. Pacific hake occupy an important mid-trophic position, connecting plankton and small schooling fish to larger predators such as marine mammals, sharks, and seabirds across the California Current ecosystem.

Pacific hake have an elongated, slender body typical of the hake family, distinct from stouter true cod.

• Body: long, slim, tapering to a narrow tail
• Color: silvery-grey with a slightly darker, bronze-tinged back, silvery-white belly
• Fins: two dorsal fins (first short and triangular, second long and notched), single long anal fin
• Mouth: large, with prominent sharp teeth, no chin barbel
• Size: typically 40-60 cm

Pacific hake can be distinguished from true cod relatives by the absence of a chin barbel and by having only two dorsal fins rather than three, along with a more slender, elongated profile.

Pacific hake range along the eastern Pacific from the Gulf of Alaska to the Gulf of California, with the largest populations concentrated along the U.S. West Coast within the California Current system. They are a semi-pelagic species, typically found at depths of 50-500 m over the continental shelf and slope, moving higher in the water column at night to feed and descending by day. Pacific hake undertake extensive seasonal migrations, moving north into Canadian and Alaskan waters to feed in summer and returning south to warmer waters off California and Baja California to spawn in winter. They favor cool, productive upwelling waters rich in plankton and small schooling fish.

Pacific hake are highly migratory, schooling fish that undertake one of the longest annual migrations among Pacific groundfish, traveling thousands of kilometers between southern spawning grounds and northern feeding areas. They perform strong diel vertical migrations, rising toward the surface at night to feed on euphausiids (krill) and small fish, then descending to deeper water during daylight hours to avoid predators. Spawning occurs in winter off southern California and Baja California, with pelagic eggs and larvae drifting northward on ocean currents as juveniles develop. As one of the most abundant midwater predators in the California Current, Pacific hake are a key prey species for marine mammals, sharks, and seabirds throughout their range.