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

North Pacific hake

Merluccius productus Ayres, 1855
Max Length
83 cm
Max Weight
4.2 kg
Lifespan
16 yrs
Trophic Level
4.4
Depth
0–1000 m
Climate
Temperate
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
43.00/100
Typical Length
60 cm
Depth Zone
pelagic

📖 Overview

Inhabit oceanic and coastal areas, but mainly on the continental shelf . Although often classified as demersal, the distribution and behavior suggest a largely pelagic existence . Adults live in large schools in waters overlying the continental shelf and slope except during the spawning season when they are found several hundred miles seaward . A nocturnal feeder that feed on a variety of fishes and invertebrates . Important prey for sea lions and small cetaceans ; also prey of dogfish .

Scientific Name
Merluccius productus
Authority
Ayres, 1855
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Temperate
Body Shape
Elongated
IUCN Status
LC
Max Length
83 cm
Max Weight
4.2 kg
Lifespan
16 years
Depth Range
0–1000 m
Trophic Level
4.4
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
43.00/100
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 48 - 56; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 40 - 43. Head rather short. Pectoral fin tips usually reaching to or beyond the origin of anal fin. Caudal fin always concave. Color silvery on back grading to whitish ventrally.: elongated; Cross section: oval.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for North Pacific hake is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

small fish
crustaceans
cephalopods

🥚 Reproduction

Size at Maturity
37cm TL

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; brackish; pelagic-neritic; depth range 0 - 1000 m , usually ? - 229 m . Temperate; 51°N - 15°N, 130°W - 77°W

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine 🌿 Brackish 🐟 Pelagic
Trophic Level
4.4
🐠 Schooling 🌙 Nocturnal
Food Items

a variety of fishes and invertebrates (Ref

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.00468 × L3.09 (TL)
Max TL
83cm
Max Weight
4,200g
Dorsal Spines
1
Dorsal Rays
52
Anal Rays
42

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2008

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
Medium
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
43.00/100
Moderate vulnerability
Trophic Level
4.4
Apex / Top predator
Body Shape
Elongated
Climate Zone
Temperate
Described By
Ayres, 1855

🎣 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 North Pacific hake · Pacific hake · Pacific whiting · whiting
🌍CES štikozubec tichooceánský
🇩🇰Danish kulmule
🇩🇪German Nordpazifischer Seehecht · Pazifikhecht · Seehecht
🌍ELL bakaliaro
🇫🇮Finnish kaliforninkummeliturska
🇫🇷French merlu du Pacifique · merlu du Pacifique nord
🇮🇹Italian nasello dei Pacifico
🇯🇵Japanese Shiroganedara · シロガネダラ
🇳🇱Dutch Pacifische heek
🇳🇴Norwegian kalifornisk lysing
🇵🇹Portuguese Merluza-da-Califórnia · pescada do Pacifico · pescada do Pacifico norte
🇷🇺Russian Орегонская мерлуза · Тихоокеанская (орегонская) мерлуза · тихоокеанская северная мерлуза · тихоокеанский хек (морской налим)
🇪🇸Spanish merluza · Merluza del Pacífico · Merluza del Pacífico norte · merluza norteña · merluza pacifica norteamericana · Merluzza pacifica norteamericana
🇸🇪Swedish Kalifornisk kummel
🌍TUR pasifik berlami

Scientific Synonyms

Scientific Name Author Year Status
Homalopomus trowbridgii Girard 1856 Synonym
Merlangus productus Ayres 1855 Synonym

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 51 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

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