Red Hake

Red hake is a slender, tapering groundfish, closely related to white hake but generally smaller and found in shallower, warmer parts of the western North Atlantic continental shelf. It ranges from Nova Scotia south to North Carolina, with the highest concentrations in the Gulf of Maine and around Georges Bank. Juvenile red hake have an unusual life-history trait: they often shelter inside the shells of live sea scallops before moving onto open sand or mud bottoms as they mature. The species is a common component of shelf groundfish communities and is frequently studied as an indicator of continental shelf ecosystem health because of its abundance and well-documented biology.

Red hake shows the classic hake body plan: an elongated, tapering shape that narrows sharply toward a slender tail.

• Reddish-brown to olive-brown back fading to a pale, silvery belly
• Two dorsal fins: a short, tall first fin followed by a long, low second fin
• Pelvic fins reduced to a pair of long, thin filaments reaching toward the anal fin
• A single short barbel on the chin
• Large eyes and a slightly protruding lower jaw

Red hake is distinguished from white hake mainly by its smaller adult size, more reddish tone, and shorter pelvic filaments, while its two separate dorsal fins immediately separate it from the single-finned cusk.

Red hake occupies the continental shelf of the western North Atlantic from the Scotian Shelf to North Carolina, with core populations in the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, and the Mid-Atlantic Bight. Juveniles commonly settle in relatively shallow inshore and shelf waters, sometimes among eelgrass beds or living commensally with sea scallops, before moving to deeper offshore water as adults, generally in the range of 50-300 meters. Adults favor soft sand or mud bottoms over open shelf habitat rather than rocky structure. Red hake tolerate a range of temperatures but tend to move to deeper, cooler water in summer and shift toward shallower depths in winter.

Red hake are bottom-oriented predators that feed mainly on small fish, shrimp, and other crustaceans, often foraging at night. Juveniles show a distinctive sheltering behavior, hiding inside the mantle cavity of live sea scallops for protection before adopting an independent, free-living existence on open bottom. Adults are loosely schooling to solitary and undertake seasonal depth migrations, moving into deeper offshore water in winter and returning to shallower shelf waters to spawn in warmer months. Spawning occurs over the continental shelf, producing pelagic eggs and larvae that drift with currents before juveniles settle to the bottom. Red hake are an important prey species for larger groundfish and marine mammals on the shelf.