View source for Hake

{{Short description|Family of fishes}}
{{For|people named Hake|Hake (surname)}}
[[File:Merluccius_bilinearis.jpg|thumb|[[Silver hake]], ''Merluccius bilinearis'']]
[[File:Urophycis regia.jpg|thumb|[[Spotted codling]], ''Urophycis regia'']]

'''Hake''' ({{IPAc-en|h|eɪ|k}}) is the [[common name]] for fish in the [[Merlucciidae]] family of the northern and southern oceans<ref name="SmithsFishes">{{cite book |author1=Smith, Margaret M. |author2=Heemstra, Philip C. | title = Smiths' Sea Fishes | publisher = Southern Book Publishers | location = Grahamstown, South Africa | year = 1995 | isbn = 978-1-86812-032-1 }}</ref> and the [[Phycidae]] family{{Efn|Sometimes considered a subfamily of [[Gadidae]].}} of the northern oceans. Hake is a commercially important fish in the same taxonomic order, [[Gadiformes]], as [[cod]] and [[haddock]].

==Description==
Hakes are medium-to-large fish averaging from {{convert|0.5|to|3.6|kg|lb|abbr=off|0}} in weight, with specimens as large as {{convert|27|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref name="theworldwidegourmet1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/products/fish/hake/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206223802/http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/products/fish/hake/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=February 6, 2009 |title=Hake - all about fish on The Worldwide Gourmet |publisher=Theworldwidegourmet.com |access-date=2010-09-15}}</ref> The fish can grow up to {{convert|1|m}} in length with a [[life expectancy|lifespan]] of as long as 14 years.

Hake may be found in the [[Atlantic Ocean]] and [[Pacific Ocean]] in waters from {{convert|200|to|350|m|-1}} deep. The fish stay in deep water during the day and come to shallower depths during the night. An undiscerning [[predator]], hake feed on prey found near or on the [[Seabed|bottom of the sea]]. Male and female hake are very similar in appearance.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{Cite web |url=http://www.msc.org/track-a-fishery/certified/south-atlantic-indian-ocean/south-africa-hake-trawl-fishery |title=South Africa hake trawl — MSC |publisher=Msc.org |access-date=2010-09-15 |archive-date=2012-08-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120831083027/http://www.msc.org/track-a-fishery/certified/south-atlantic-indian-ocean/south-africa-hake-trawl-fishery |url-status=dead }}</ref>

After [[spawning]], the hake eggs float on the surface of the sea where the larvae develop. After a certain period of time, the baby hake then migrate to the bottom of the sea, preferring depths of less than {{convert|200|m|0}}.<ref name="autogenerated1"/>

==''Merlucciidae''==
A total of 13 hake species are known in the family ''Merlucciidae'':

*[[Argentine hake]] (''Merluccius hubbsi''), found off [[Argentina]]
*[[Benguela hake]] (''Merluccius polli''), found off [[South Africa]]
*Deep-water hake (''[[Merluccius paradoxus]]'') found in the [[South Atlantic|southern Atlantic Ocean]]
*[[European hake]] (''Merluccius merluccius''), found off the [[Atlantic Europe|Atlantic coast of Europe]] and western [[North Africa]], in the [[Mediterranean Sea]], and in the [[Black Sea]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/fishery/species/2238/en |title=FAO Fisheries & Aquaculture – Species Fact Sheets – ''Merluccius merluccius'' (Linnaeus, 1758) (''sic'') |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |access-date=2015-08-21}}</ref>
*Gayi hake (''Merluccius gayi''), found in the [[North Pacific Ocean]]
*[[North Pacific hake]] (''Merluccius productus''), found in the North Pacific
*[[Offshore hake]] (''Merluccius albidus''), found off the [[United States]]
*[[Panama hake]] (''Merluccius angustimanus''), found in the Eastern Pacific
*Senegalese hake (''Merluccius senegalensis''), found off the Atlantic coast of western [[North Africa]]
*Shallow-water hake (''[[Merluccius capensis]]''), found in the southern Atlantic Ocean
*[[Silver hake]] (''Merluccius bilinearis''), found in the [[Northwest Atlantic|Northwest Atlantic Ocean]]
*Southern hake (''[[Merluccius australis]]''), found off [[Chile]] and off New Zealand

==Commercial use==
{{more citations needed|section|date=October 2023}}
[[File:Lluç arrebossat.jpg|thumb|Battered hake from [[Valencia]].]]
Not all hake species are viewed as commercially important, but the deep-water and shallow-water hakes are known to grow rapidly and make up the majority of harvested species.<ref>{{Citation|last1=Wilhelm|first1=M. R.|title=Biology and fisheries of the shallow-water hake ( Merluccius capensis ) and the deep-water hake ( Merluccius paradoxus ) in Namibia|date=2015-09-11|url=http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/9781118568262.ch3|work=Hakes|pages=70–100|editor-last=Arancibia|editor-first=Hugo|place=Chichester, UK|publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Ltd|language=en|doi=10.1002/9781118568262.ch3|isbn=978-1-118-56826-2|access-date=2021-04-18|last2=Kirchner|first2=C. H.|last3=Roux|first3=J. P.|last4=Jarre|first4=A.|last5=Iitembu|first5=J. A.|last6=Kathena|first6=J. N.|last7=Kainge|first7=P.|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Indicators of quality in hake products for human consumption include white [[flesh]] free of signs of [[Browning (food process)|browning]], dryness, or grayness, and with a fresh, seawater smell.<ref name="theworldwidegourmet1"/> Hake is sold as frozen, [[Fish fillet|fillets]] or steaks, fresh, [[Smoked fish|smoked]], or [[Salted fish|salted]].

===Fisheries===
The main catching method of deep-water hake is primarily [[trawling]], and shallow-water hake is mostly caught by inshore trawl and [[longlining]]. Hake are mostly found in the Southwest Atlantic ([[Argentina]] and [[Uruguay]]), Southeast Pacific ([[Chile]] and [[Peru]]), Southeast Atlantic ([[Namibia]] and [[South Africa]]), Southwest Pacific ([[New Zealand]]), and [[Mediterranean]] and [[Black Sea]] ([[Italy]], [[Portugal]], [[Spain]], [[Greece]] and [[France]]).

===Over-exploitation===
Due to [[overfishing]], Argentine hake catches have declined drastically. About 80% of adult hake has apparently disappeared from Argentine waters. Argentine hake is not expected to disappear, but the stock may be so low that it is no longer economical for commercial fishing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://en.mercopress.com/2010/03/22/argentine-hake-fishery-and-markets-at-risk-because-of-over-fishing-says-ngo |title=Argentine hake fishery and markets at risk because of over-fishing, says NGO — MercoPress |publisher=En.mercopress.com |date=2010-03-22 |access-date=2010-09-15}}</ref> In addition, this adversely affects Argentine employment, because of many jobs in the fishing industries. Conversely, Argentine hake prices rose due to hake scarcity, reducing exports and affecting the economy.<ref name="globefish1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.globefish.org/hake-january-2010.html |title=Fao Globefish |publisher=Globefish.org |access-date=2010-09-15}}</ref>

In Chile, seafood exports, especially Chilean hake, have decreased dramatically. Hake export has decreased by almost 19 percent. The main cause of this decline is the February [[2010 Chile earthquake]] and [[tsunami]]. These disasters destroyed most processing plants, especially manufacturing companies that produce [[fish meal]] and frozen fillets.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fis.com/fis/worldnews/worldnews.asp?monthyear=&day=27&id=37905&l=e&special=&ndb=1%20target= |title=Worldnews - Sharp decline in exports to the south-central area |publisher=FIS |date=2010-08-27 |access-date=2010-09-15}}</ref>

European hake catches are well below historical levels because of hake [[Resource depletion|depletion]] in the [[Mediterranean]] and [[Black Sea]]. Various factors might have caused this decline, including a too-high [[total allowable catch]], unsustainable fishing, [[ecology|ecological]] problems, juvenile catches, or non-registered catches.

Namibia is the only country that has increased its hake quota, from {{convert|130,000|t}} in 2009 to {{convert|145,000|t}} in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://old.namibian.com.na/6228320/archive-read/Katti-could-pocket-N$42m-from-1pct-oil-block-sale|title=Katti could pocket N$42m from 1% oil block sale|website=The Namibian|date=8 March 2023|author-first1=Shinovene|author-last1=Immanuel|author-first2=Timo|author-last2=Shihepo|url-status=live|archive-date=20 May 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250520110251/https://old.namibian.com.na/6228320/archive-read/Katti-could-pocket-N$42m-from-1pct-oil-block-sale}}</ref> Furthermore, the [[Namibian Ministry of Fisheries]] adheres to strict rules regarding the catch of hake. For example, the closed seasons for hake lasts approximately two months, in September and October, depending on the level of stock. This rule has been applied to ensure the regrowth of the hake population. Supplemental restrictions forbid [[trawling]] for Hake in waters less than {{convert|200|m|ft|0}} deep (to avoid damaging non-target species [[natural habitat|habitat]]) and to minimize [[by-catch]].

==Human introduction to non-native areas==
[[Frank Forrester]]'s ''[[Fishermens' Guide]]'' in 1885 mentions a hake that was transplanted from the coast of [[Ireland]] to [[Cape Cod]] on the coast of [[Massachusetts]] in the [[United States]].  It is uncertain which species it was, but the ''Fishermens' Guide'' stated:<blockquote>This is an Irish [[Seawater|salt water]] fish, similar in appearance to the [[Microgadus tomcod|tom cod]]. In [[Galway Bay|Galway bay]], and other sea [[inlet]]s of Ireland, the hake is exceedingly abundant, and is taken in great numbers. It is also found in [[England]] and [[France]]. Since the [[Irish Americans|Irish immigration]] to America, the hake has followed in the wake of their masters, as it is now found in [[New York Bay|New York bay]], in the waters around [[Boston]], and off Cape Cod. Here it is called the stock fish, and the Bostonians call them poor Johns. [...] It is a singular fact that until within a few years this fish was never seen in America. It does not grow as large here as in Europe, though here they are from ten to eighteen inches [250 to 460 mm] in length.{{nbsp}}[...] The general color of this fish is a reddish brown, with some golden tints—the sides being of a pink silvery luster.<ref>{{cite book|title=Frank Forrester's Fishermens' Guide|url=https://archive.org/details/frankforrestersf00herbrich/page/36/mode/2up|last=Forrester|first=Frank|author-link=Frank Forester|publisher=Advance Publishing Company|location=New York|year=1855}}</ref></blockquote>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Gadidae]]
[[Category:Merlucciidae]]
[[Category:Fish common names]]