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🌊 Marine Near Threatened 🎣 Game Fish 🌡️ Temperate 🎣 Game Fish

Silver hake

Merluccius bilinearis Mitchill, 1814
Max Length
76 cm
Max Weight
2.3 kg
Lifespan
12 yrs
Trophic Level
4.5
Depth
55–914 m
Climate
Temperate
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
54.00/100
Typical Length
37 cm
Depth Zone
demersal

📖 Overview

Abundant on sandy grounds and strays into shallower waters. A voracious predator with cannibalistic habits. Individuals over 40 cm TL prey on fishes such as gadoids and herring, while smaller ones feed on crustaceans, i.e. euphausiids and pandalids; food also includes gaspereau, myctophids, smelt, silversides, mackerel, sand lance, butterfish, snakeblennies, longhorn sculpins and squids . The smallest specimen feeds mostly on crustaceans . Exhibits seasonal onshore-offshore migration . Spawning takes place from June-July in the mid-Atlantic region; July-August in the Gulf of Maine and to the north of Georges Bank, and August-September on the Scotian Shelf . Marketed fresh, smoked and frozen; fresh fish are exported to European markets; eaten fried, broiled, microwaved and baked .

Scientific Name
Merluccius bilinearis
Authority
Mitchill, 1814
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Temperate
Body Shape
Elongated
IUCN Status
NT
Max Length
76 cm
Max Weight
2.3 kg
Lifespan
12 years
Depth Range
55–914 m
Trophic Level
4.5
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
54.00/100
Migration
Oceanodromous
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 47 - 54; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 37 - 41. Head large, about 30% of SL . Pectoral fins long, reaching origin of anal fin. Overall color is silvery, somewhat brownish on back, whitish on belly.: elongated; Cross section: oval.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Silver hake is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

Diet information for Silver hake is currently being compiled.

🥚 Reproduction

Size at Maturity
23.2cm TL

Spawning appears to be strongly influenced by water temperature, and annual variations occur both in the peak and the range of the spawning period, which may influence considerably the growth of juveniles.

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; demersal; oceanodromous ; depth range 55 - 914 m . Temperate; 55°N - 24°N, 80°W - 42°W Northwest Atlantic: coast of Canada and USA from Bell Isle Channel to the Bahamas; most common from southern Newfoundland to South Carolina.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine ⬇️ Benthic
Migration
Oceanodromous
Trophic Level
4.5±0.4
Food Items

crustaceans, i

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.0049 × L3.1 (TL)
Max TL
76cm
Max Weight
2,300g
Dorsal Spines
1
Dorsal Rays
51
Anal Rays
39

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Near Threatened
Assessment Date
2015

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
Medium
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
54.00/100
Moderate-High vulnerability
Trophic Level
4.5
Apex / Top predator
Body Shape
Elongated
Climate Zone
Temperate
Described By
Mitchill, 1814

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Scientific Synonyms

Scientific Name Author Year Status
Stomodon bilinearis Mitchill 1814 Synonym

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 6,217 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

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