European hake

Merluccius merluccius

A long predatory fish of European deep shelves and slopes, rising at night to hunt and valued as a whitefish.

Key facts

European hake (Merluccius merluccius) is a carnivore animal classified as Fish · Gadiformes · Merlucciidae.
Primary habitats are open ocean · coast, with a range across Atlantic Ocean · Palearctic.
Activity is nocturnal, sociality is loose group, and conservation status is LC (Least Concern).
A long predatory fish of European deep shelves and slopes, rising at night to hunt and valued as a whitefish.
Occurs in the northeastern Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Black Sea from continental shelves to slopes, deeper by day and higher in the water at night.

Habitat range map

Native rangeOccasional / Transient

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Occurs in the northeastern Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Black Sea from continental shelves to slopes, deeper by day and higher in the water at night.

The body is long and silvery gray, with a large head, wide mouth, sharp teeth, and separated dorsal-fin sections.

It stays deeper in daylight and moves upward at night to feed. Adults may range widely along shelf waters.

It eats fish, squid, and crustaceans, becoming more strongly fish-eating with growth.

Spawning seasons vary by region, and adults release eggs into open water over an extended period.

European hake is important in seafood markets, and stock condition depends strongly on regional fishing pressure.