Canada country information

Common names: Balaas, Moneches, Pacific hake
Occurrence: native
Salinity: brackish
Abundance: common (usually seen) | Ref: Hart, J.L., 1973
Importance: highly commercial | Ref: Lloris, D., J. Matallanas and P. Oliver, 2005
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments: Occurs along the the Pacific coast (Ref. 6885). Not appreciated as a food fish due to its soft flesh and lack of flavour (Ref. 4925). Also Refs. 1371, 4925, 58452, 93933, 95110, 95147.
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/ca.html
National Fisheries Authority: http://www.ncr.dfo.ca/home_e.htm
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Hart, J.L., 1973
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Merlu du Pacifique nord, Merluza del Pacífico norte, Мерлуза орегонская, ... more

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Gadiformes (Cods) > Merlucciidae (Merluccid hakes)
Etymology: Merluccius: Latin, mar, maris = the sea + Latin, lucius = pike (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Ayres.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; brackish; pelagic-neritic; depth range 0 - 1000 m (Ref. 9316), usually ? - 229 m (Ref. 2850). Temperate; 51°N - 15°N, 130°W - 77°W (Ref. 58452)

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Eastern Pacific: northern Vancouver Island, Canada to northern part of the Gulf of California. A record from the Gulf of Alaska is doubtful.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m 37.0, range 34 - 40 cm
Max length : 83.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 127973); 105.0 cm TL (female); common length : 60.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 1371); max. published weight: 4.2 kg (Ref. 127973); max. published weight: 4.2 kg; max. reported age: 16 years (Ref. 56527)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

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.

Inhabit oceanic and coastal areas, but mainly on the continental shelf (Ref. 1371). Although often classified as demersal, the distribution and behavior suggest a largely pelagic existence (Ref. 1371). 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 (Ref. 1371). A nocturnal feeder (Ref. 6885) that feed on a variety of fishes and invertebrates (Ref. 1371). Important prey for sea lions and small cetaceans (Ref. 2850); also prey of dogfish (Ref. 11384).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Cohen, D.M., T. Inada, T. Iwamoto and N. Scialabba, 1990. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 10. Gadiform fishes of the world (Order Gadiformes). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cods, hakes, grenadiers and other gadiform fishes known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(10). Rome: FAO. 442 p. (Ref. 1371)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 01 May 2008

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: highly commercial

FAO(Fisheries: production, species profile; publication : search) | FishSource | Sea Around Us

More information

Trophic ecology
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Ecology
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Population dynamics
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Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 7 - 12.6, mean 8.6 (based on 23 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00457 (0.00381 - 0.00548), b=3.10 (3.05 - 3.15), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 4.4 ±0.0 se; based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tmax=17; tm=4; also Musick et al. 2000 (Ref. 36717)).

Prior r = 0.52, 95% CL = 0.35 - 0.79, Based on 4 full stock assessments.

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Moderate vulnerability (43 of 100).

Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649): Moderate to high vulnerability (53 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Low.

Merluccius productus (Ayres, 1855)