Offshore Hake

Head rather long; mouth large; gill rakers short and thick, with blunt tips; pectoral fin tips reaching a vertical through anus in small fish but not in larger ones; overall color silvery white (Ref. 1371).

Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 45 - 51; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 35 - 41; Vertebrae: 51 - 53

Offshore species which inhabit the outer part of the continental shelf and upper part of the slope. Feed at night when they come up towards the surface (Ref. 1371). Juveniles feed primarily on crustaceans (Ref. 58452). Adults' food consists primarily of fishes (particularly lantern fishes, sardines and anchovies) and, to a lesser extent, crustaceans and squids (Ref. 1371). Spawning occurs near the bottom at 330-550 m depth range from April to July in New England and from late spring to early autumn in the Gulf of Mexico and the Carribean Sea (Ref. 58452). Marketed fresh, frozen and smoked.

fisheries: minor commercial; price category: medium; price reliability: questionable: based on ex-vessel price for species in this genus

Merluccius albidus, sometimes known as the offshore hake, offshore silver hake, or offshore whiting, is a species of fish in the family Merlucciidae. It is found on the outer (offshore) continental shelf at depths of 70–1,170 m (230–3,840 ft) in the west Atlantic, ranging from New England to French Guiana. It reaches 70 cm (28 in) in length and 4.1 kg (9.0 lb) in weight.

Feeds on lanternfishes, merlucciids, squid and crustaceans

Scotian shelf off eastern Canada, into eastern Canada into the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea to Rio de Janeiro

deepwater species occuring over a wide depth range, usually deeper than 183m

benthic