Argentine hake
📖 Overview
Adults inhabit continental shelf depths mainly between 100 and 200 m . Larger individuals feed on fish (anchovies, hake, nototheniids, myctophids and Southern blue whitings), squids and macrozooplankton (euphausiids and amphipods); smaller individuals feed on mysids and amphipods . Migrate inshore during spring and summer, and offshore into deep water wintering areas after spawning; also undertake diel vertical migrations . Sold fresh and frozen.
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 43 - 52; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 36 - 41; Vertebrae: 50 - 53. Gill rakers short and thick with blunt tips. Pectoral fins relatively short, not reaching level of anal fin origin. Color is silvery with golden luster on back, silvery white on belly .: elongated; Cross section: oval.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Argentine hake is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
An indeterminate batch spawner.
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; benthopelagic; oceanodromous ; depth range 50 - 800 m , usually 100 - 200 m . Temperate; 20°S - 56°S, 69°W - 40°W Southwest Atlantic: off southern Brazil to Argentina and the Falkland Islands up to 54°S (Ref.
🌿 Ecology
fish (anchovies, hake, nototheniids, myctophids and Southern blue whitings), squids and macrozooplan
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🎣 Angling Guide
- medium-heavy 7ft spinning rod
- 30-50 lb braid
- fluorocarbon leader
- grass flats
- oyster bars
- marsh drains
- deeper channel edges
Use barbless hooks, minimise air exposure, and revive fish head-first in current before release.
⚠️ Slot limits protect breeding-size fish. Verify daily bag limits.
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | Argentine hake · Atlantic hake |
| 🌍CES | štikozubec argentinský |
| 🇩🇰Danish | Sydvestatlantisk kulmule |
| 🇩🇪German | Argentinischer Seehecht |
| 🇫🇷French | merlu d'Argentine |
| 🇮🇹Italian | Nasello atlantico |
| 🇯🇵Japanese | aruzenchin-heiku · アルゼンチンヘイク |
| 🇳🇱Dutch | Argentijnse heek |
| 🇵🇹Portuguese | Merluza-do-Atlântico |
| 🇷🇺Russian | Аргентинская мерлуза |
| 🇪🇸Spanish | merluza · merluza Argentina · merluza bonaerense · merluza común · merluza hubbsi |
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merluccius gayi hubbsi | Marini | 1933 | Synonym |
| Merluccius merluccius hubbsi | Marini | 1933 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 8 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
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