Diagnostic Description
provided by FAO species catalogs
Head large, 27.3 to 30.2% of standard length. Measurements in relation to head length: upper jaw 48.2 to 54.7%; snout 31.9 to 36.5%; interorbital width 24.1 to 28.6%; total number of gill rakers on first arch 15 to 20 (usually 16 to 20). First dorsal fin with 1 spine and 9 to 11 rays; second dorsal fin with 38 to 43 rays; anal fin with 37 to 41 rays; tips of pectoral fins usually reaching origin of anal fin; posterior margin of caudal fin truncate or slightly concave. Scales small, 132 to 149 along lateral line. Number of vertebrae 23 to 26 (precaudal) + 24 to 28 (caudal) = 49 to 53 (total). Colour: silvery, somewhat brownish on back, whitish on belly.
- Jones & van Eck, (1967)
- Newman, (1977)
- bibliographic citation
- 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.Daniel M.Cohen Tadashi Inada Tomio Iwamoto Nadia Scialabba 1990. FAO Fisheries Synopsis. No. 125, Vol.10. Rome, FAO. 1990. 442p.
- author
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
Distribution
provided by FAO species catalogs
Southern and southwestern Africa, from Baie Farte (12.5°S), over the Agulhas Bank in the south, to Natal (28°S). Also found on the Valdivia Bank (26°18'S, 6°20'E).
- bibliographic citation
- 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.Daniel M.Cohen Tadashi Inada Tomio Iwamoto Nadia Scialabba 1990. FAO Fisheries Synopsis. No. 125, Vol.10. Rome, FAO. 1990. 442p.
- author
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
Size
provided by FAO species catalogs
Maximum length 120 cm; commonly 40 to 60 cm.
- bibliographic citation
- 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.Daniel M.Cohen Tadashi Inada Tomio Iwamoto Nadia Scialabba 1990. FAO Fisheries Synopsis. No. 125, Vol.10. Rome, FAO. 1990. 442p.
- author
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
Brief Summary
provided by FAO species catalogs
Lives close to the bottomon the continental shelf and upper slope (550 m).Females grow faster than males, with sexual maturity attained at 45 to 60 cm in the Cape region. Spawning appears to be mainly from October to December (mid-spring to early summer). This hake migrates seasonally southward in the southern spring, and northward in autumn.The young (to about 64 cm) feed mainly on small crustaceans and small deep-sea fishes such as lantern fishes, whereas larger individuals feed chiefly on small hakes and jack mackerel.
- bibliographic citation
- 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.Daniel M.Cohen Tadashi Inada Tomio Iwamoto Nadia Scialabba 1990. FAO Fisheries Synopsis. No. 125, Vol.10. Rome, FAO. 1990. 442p.
- author
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
Benefits
provided by FAO species catalogs
An important foodfish. Most of the catches for this species are reported to FAO combined with those of Merluccius paradoxus, a similar species which lives in the same area of Merluccius capensis but usually at greater depths. For 1995, 278,257 t were reported to FAO for the two species combined (mainly by South Africa and Namibia) and 28 t by Angola only for M. capensis (M. paradoxus is not present in Angola). Until 1978, this species, together with M. paradoxus yielded the largest hake catches in the world (i.e. 1,122,000 t in 1972). Caught mainly with bottom trawls (otter trawls) at 550 m depth and processed into fish blocks. Most common fishing techniques are "demersal bottom trawling" and "Hake trawling". The total catch reported for this species to FAO for 1999 was 2 060 t. The countries with the largest catches were Angola (2 060 t).
- bibliographic citation
- 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.Daniel M.Cohen Tadashi Inada Tomio Iwamoto Nadia Scialabba 1990. FAO Fisheries Synopsis. No. 125, Vol.10. Rome, FAO. 1990. 442p.
- author
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
Diagnostic Description
provided by Fishbase
Light brown above, silvery to white below (Ref. 6605).
Migration
provided by Fishbase
Oceanodromous. Migrating within oceans typically between spawning and different feeding areas, as tunas do. Migrations should be cyclical and predictable and cover more than 100 km.
Morphology
provided by Fishbase
Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 47 - 54; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 37 - 41
Trophic Strategy
provided by Fishbase
Found on the continental shelf and slope to depths over 1,000 m (Ref. 27121). Juveniles (to about 64 cm) feed on small crustaceans and small deep-sea fishes such as lanternfishes, whereas larger individuals feed chiefly on small hakes and jack mackerel (Ref. 1371, 9708, 9583 ); cannibalism is common (Ref. 27121). Migrates southward in the spring and northward in autumn (Ref. 1371).
Biology
provided by Fishbase
Found on the continental shelf and slope to depths over 1,000 m (Ref. 27121). Juveniles (to about 64 cm) feed on small crustaceans and small deep-sea fishes such as lanternfishes, whereas larger individuals feed chiefly on small hakes and jack mackerel (Ref. 1371); cannibalism is common (Ref. 27121). Migrates southward in the spring and northward in autumn (Ref. 1371). Breeds throughout the year, peaks of reproductive activity in August and September (Ref. 36731). Marketed smoked, frozen, and fresh on ice; eaten steamed, fried and baked (Ref. 9988).
Importance
provided by Fishbase
fisheries: minor commercial; price category: high; price reliability: reliable: based on ex-vessel price for this species
Merluccius capensis
provided by wikipedia EN
Merluccius capensis (shallow-water Cape hake or South African hake) is a ray-finned fish in the genus Merluccius, found in the south-eastern Atlantic Ocean, along the coast of South Africa. It is a long, lean fish with a large head, similar in appearance to the European hake and the deep-water Cape hake. By day, it lives close to the bottom on the continental shelf and upper slope at depths not usually exceeding 400 m (1,300 ft); it makes a large, daily vertical migration rising at night to feed in the nectonic zone, and it also migrates southwards in spring and northwards in autumn. It is an important commercial fish species in southern Africa.
Description
Very similar to Merluccius merluccius (European hake) and Merluccius paradoxus (the deep-water Cape hake), M. capensis has an average length around 50 cm, up to a maximum around 120 cm (47 in). It is a long, lean fish with a large head, light brown above and white or silvery below. The first dorsal fin has a single spine and 9 to 11 soft rays, while the second has 38 to 43 soft rays. The anal fin has no spines and 37 to 41 soft rays. The caudal fin has a flat end or is slightly concave.[2]
Distribution
Its range extends southwards around the coast and into the Indian Ocean. On the east coast, it is less abundant and is rarely found in significant numbers north of KwaZulu-Natal. On the west coast, M. capensis occurs as far north as Benguela in Angola, where its distribution overlaps that of Merluccius polli, the Benguela hake. It lives close to the bottom on the continental shelf and upper slope at depths from 50 to 500 m, usually not below 400 m. Its preferred depth partly overlaps that of Merluccius paradoxus between depths of 200 and 400 m.
In South Africa, M. capensis is one of the most important commercial food fishes. Caught via demersal trawling, the associated industry is represented by the South Africa Deep Sea Trawling Industries Association (SADSTIA). It is known locally (from the Afrikaans stokvis) as stockfish,[3] not to be confused with the dried cod usually known by that name.
Ecology
The shallow-water Cape hake might be classified as a euryphagous carnivore; immature specimens feed on small, deep-sea fishes and crustaceans. Large hake feed on squid and fishes, as well; smaller hake and jack mackerel are major components of their diet.[4]
The shallow-water Cape hake migrates vertically, daily, being demersal by day and nektonic by night. On a seasonal basis, it migrates southwards in spring and northwards in autumn. Spawning is variably reported either to be year-round, or to occur mainly from mid-spring to early summer.
The Cape hake is often fished together with the species Merluccius paradoxus, which generally lives at greater depths. Most reported catches combine both species, but the range of M. capensis continues towards the north-west coast of southern Africa, in the region of Angola, where, for practical purposes, M. paradoxus does not occur.[4]
References
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- cc-by-sa-3.0
- copyright
- Wikipedia authors and editors
Merluccius capensis: Brief Summary
provided by wikipedia EN
Merluccius capensis (shallow-water Cape hake or South African hake) is a ray-finned fish in the genus Merluccius, found in the south-eastern Atlantic Ocean, along the coast of South Africa. It is a long, lean fish with a large head, similar in appearance to the European hake and the deep-water Cape hake. By day, it lives close to the bottom on the continental shelf and upper slope at depths not usually exceeding 400 m (1,300 ft); it makes a large, daily vertical migration rising at night to feed in the nectonic zone, and it also migrates southwards in spring and northwards in autumn. It is an important commercial fish species in southern Africa.
- license
- cc-by-sa-3.0
- copyright
- Wikipedia authors and editors
