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🌊 Marine Least Concern 🎣 Game Fish 🌡️ Temperate 🎣 Game Fish

European hake

Merluccius merluccius Linnaeus, 1758
European Hake (Merluccius merluccius)
European Hake (Merluccius merluccius)
Max Length
140 cm
Max Weight
15.0 kg
Lifespan
20 yrs
Trophic Level
4.4
Depth
18–1075 m
Climate
Temperate
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
65.00/100
Typical Length
45 cm
Depth Zone
demersal

📖 Overview

Minimum depth from Ref. 128002. Found usually between 70 and 370 m depth. Adults live close to the bottom during day-time, but move off-bottom at night. Adults feed mainly on fish (small hakes, anchovies, pilchard, herrings, cod fishes, sardines and gadoid species) and squids. The young feed on crustaceans (especially euphausiids and amphipods). Are batch spawners . Almost entirely marketed fresh, whole or filleted, to specialized restaurants or retail markets . Utilized fresh, dried or salted and frozen; can be steamed, fried, microwaved and baked . Stocks seem to be over-fished .

Scientific Name
Merluccius merluccius
Authority
Linnaeus, 1758
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Temperate
Body Shape
Elongated
IUCN Status
LC
Max Length
140 cm
Max Weight
15 kg
Lifespan
20 years
Depth Range
18–1075 m
Trophic Level
4.4
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
65.00/100
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 43 - 51; Anal soft rays: 36 - 40. Inside of mouth and branchial cavity black. Second dorsal and anal fins notched. First vertebra and neural spine attached to skull. Vertebrae 50-52.: elongated.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for European hake is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

small fish
crustaceans
cephalopods

🥚 Reproduction

Size at Maturity
42.1cm TL

Continuous recruitment of oocytes connotes indeterminate fecundity for this species .

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; demersal; depth range 18 - 1075 m , usually 70 - 400 m . Temperate; 76°N - 18°N, 30°W - 42°E

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine ⬇️ Benthic
Trophic Level
4.4
Food Items

fish (small hakes, anchovies, pilchard, herrings, cod fishes, sardines and gadoid species) and squid

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.00513 × L3.11 (TL)
Max TL
140cm
Max Weight
15,000g
Dorsal Rays
47
Anal Rays
38

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2015

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
Medium
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
65.00/100
High vulnerability
Trophic Level
4.4
Apex / Top predator
Body Shape
Elongated
Climate Zone
Temperate
Described By
Linnaeus, 1758

🎣 Angling Guide

Difficulty
Beginner
Fight Rating
strong pulls with head-shakes
Best Seasons
spring,summer,fall
Best Time
incoming tide, dawn and dusk
Line Weight
15-30
Rod Type
medium-heavy spinning
Hook Size
2/0-5/0
Catch & Release
✓ Recommended
Best Months
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Techniques
bottom fishing popping cork soft plastics live bait
Bait & Lures
live shrimp cut mullet soft plastic paddle-tails popping corks
Recommended Tackle
  • medium-heavy 7ft spinning rod
  • 30-50 lb braid
  • fluorocarbon leader
Where to Find Them
  • grass flats
  • oyster bars
  • marsh drains
  • deeper channel edges
Tips & Tricks
Popping cork technique attracts fish from distance. Fish moving tides.
Catch & Release Tips

Use barbless hooks, minimise air exposure, and revive fish head-first in current before release.

Regulations Summary

⚠️ Slot limits protect breeding-size fish. Verify daily bag limits.

📊 Population Dynamics

Year Region Index Notes
- - -

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Language Common Names
🇬🇧English Blue Ling · Cornish Salmon · European hake · European hake, Hake · Herring Hake · Lesser Ling · hake
🌍AFR Europese Stokvis
🌍BRE begeg-vôr · merluz
🏳️Catalan Lluç europeu · lluç
🌍CES štikozubec obecný
🌍CYM Cegdduon · cegddu · ceggdu
🇩🇰Danish Europæisk kulmule · Kulmule · kolmuler
🇩🇪German Europäischer Seehecht · Hechtdorsch · Seehecht
🌍ELL Βακαλάος · Μπακαλιάρος
🌍EPO Merluĉo
🌍EST Merluus
🌍EUS legatz arrunt · legatza
🇫🇮Finnish Kummeliturska · kummeli
🇫🇷French Abadioa · Bardot · Brochet de mer · Canapé · Colin · Colinet · Hoglet · Merlan · Merlu · Merlu Commun · Merlu blanc · Merlu européen · Merlu européen, Merlu blanc · Merluche · Merluchon · Merluchon au colinet · Nasello · Ânon · Únon
🌍GLE An colmóir
🌍GLG pescada · pixota
🌍HEB בקלה ים-תיכונית
🇭🇷Croatian Oslić
🌍ISL Lýsingur
🇮🇹Italian Merluzzo · Nasello · Pesce lupo
🌍MLT Marloz · Marlozz · Maroz · Merluzz · Merluzz ewropew · Mirluzz
🇳🇱Dutch Europese heek · Stokvisch heek · heek · mooie meid · stokvis
🌍NNO berglaks · bjørklyr · hegg · lysing · sølvlyr · kolkjeft
🌍NOB Kolkjeft/Svartkjeft · lysing · berglaks · bjørklyr · hegg · kolkjeft · sølvlyr
🇳🇴Norwegian Lysing · haeg · kolkjeft
🇵🇱Polish Morszczuk · Morszczuk zwyczajny a. europejski
🇵🇹Portuguese Marmota · Merluza-europeia · Pescada · Pescada branca · Pescada-branca · Pescada-marmota · Pescadinha
🌍RON Merluciu european · Merluciu sud-african
🇷🇺Russian Мерлуза европейская · Обыкновенный хек
🌍SLV Oslič
🇪🇸Spanish Alambolo · Carioca · Cria · Ilus · Iluz · Lejatxa · Merluza · Merluza europea · Pescada · Pescadilla · Pijota · Pijotilla · Pijoton · Pitillo
🌍SQI Merluc · Merluci · bakalaku
🌍SRP Oslic
🇸🇪Swedish Kummel
🌍TUR Berlam · bakalyaro
🌍UKR Мерлуза європейська · Хек європейський
🇨🇳Chinese 歐洲無鬚鱈

Scientific Synonyms

Scientific Name Author Year Status
Gadus byrkelange Walbaum 1792 Synonym
Gadus merluccius Linnaeus 1758 Synonym
Gadus ruber Lacepède 1803 Heterotypic
Hidronus marlucius Minding 1832 Synonym
Hydronus marlucius Minding 1832 Synonym
Merluccius ambiguous Lowe 1841 Heterotypic
Merluccius ambiguus Lowe 1841 Heterotypic
Merluccius argentatus Günther 1862 Synonym
Merluccius esculentus Risso 1827 Synonym
Merluccius linnei Malm 1877 Synonym
Merluccius merluccius lessepsianus Lloris, Matallanas & Oliver 2003 Heterotypic
Merluccius smiridus Rafinesque 1810 Synonym
Merluccius vulgaris Fleming 1828 Synonym
Merlucius ambiguus Lowe 1841 Synonym
Merlucius esculentus Risso 1827 Synonym
Merlucius lanatus Gronow 1854 Synonym
Merlucius sinuatus Swainson 1838 Synonym
Merlucius vulgaris Fleming 1828 Synonym
Molva byrkelange Walbaum 1792 Synonym
Onus riali Rafinesque 1810 Synonym
Trachinoides maroccanus Borodin 1934 Synonym
Trachinoides moroccanus Borodin 1934 Synonym

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 27 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

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