catalog Phycidae · predator

gulf hake

Urophycis cirrata

Sea

Deep-water hake from the Gulf of Mexico and northern South America, with a very short barbel and a dark blotch on the operculum. It lives on mud bottoms, usually between 360 and 470 m.

Also called: abrótea-do-golfo, abrótea, Gulf hake, Brazilian codling

forecast for gulf hake where found

common size: 30–50 cm
maximum: 66 cm
common weight: 0.2–1 kg
record/max.: 2.5 kg
depth: 360–470 m
ideal water: 8–13 °C

overview

who is the gulf hake

The Gulf hake, called merluza barbona del Golfo in Mexico, is a fish of the family Phycidae, a relative of the abrótea from southern Brazil. It lives on mud bottoms on the slope, usually between 360 and 470 m, although it has been recorded from 27 to 684 m, and it does not make long migrations. It occurs in the western Atlantic, from Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to northern South America as far as the Orinoco, and may reach Rio de Janeiro. It grows to 66 cm and 2.5 kg and can live 14 years. FishBase classifies it as a species of potential interest for fishing. For sport anglers it is a deep-water fish that rarely reaches the hook except on trips with an electric reel.

fun facts

It can live 14 years, according to FishBase, and it hardly migrates.
The names Gulf hake and merluza barbona del Golfo refer to the Gulf of Mexico, the core of its range.
FishBase's country list includes Argentina and Uruguay, but the distribution text only reaches northern South America and, perhaps, Rio de Janeiro.

how to recognize it

identification

Elongated, rounded body with no spines in the fins. The most useful sign is the very short chin barbel, absent in many specimens, along with a dark, diffuse blotch on the operculum. The pelvic fins become long rays, as in the other abróteas. On the first gill arch, the upper limb carries 2 or 3 gill rakers. The abrótea (Urophycis brasiliensis) lives in shallower southern waters, usually 20 to 190 m; the Gulf hake prefers the mud bottom of the slope.

how gulf hake fishing looks

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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

Western Atlantic: Florida, the Gulf of Mexico and the northern coast of South America as far as the Orinoco, and perhaps as far as Rio de Janeiro. In Latin America it occurs in Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago and the Guianas. FishBase's country list also includes Argentina and Uruguay, but the distribution text does not extend that far south: treat these records with caution. In Brazil it occurs from the North to the Southeast, on the slope.

Habitat: Mud bottoms on the slope, usually 360 to 470 m (recorded from 27 to 684 m).

coast

North CoastNortheast CoastSoutheast Coastoceanic

calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of year

JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

No known season in the sources consulted. Fishing depends on the sea and the current, not on the season.

best time of day

Any time. No sunlight reaches the slope, and the sources give no peak time of day. Choose the day by calm seas, which keep the boat still over the spot.

weather, water and behavior

what affects the gulf hake
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.

cold and cold fronts

At 400 m the water is cold and stable all year; surface weather does not change that.

atmospheric pressure

Little documented effect; what matters is rough seas after a cold front.

moon

Little effect on the slope.

rain

No direct effect on the bottom.

water level

Not applicable at sea.

noise

Deep-water fish, little sensitive to boat noise.

wind

Strong wind pulls the boat off the spot and leaves the line slanted, which gets in the way a lot at 400 m.

tide

Strong current calls for a much heavier sinker and makes it hard to feel the bottom.

depth

360 to 470 m for most catches, over mud bottom.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

Bottom fishing from a boat

rod: short, strong rod of 50 to 80 lb, for deep-water fishing
spinning / baitcasting reel: electric reel with 600 m or more of line
line: braided line 80 to 130 lb
leader: monofilament 100 lb
hook: circle 7/0 to 10/0

natural baits

lula
sardinha
fish fillet

accessories

1 to 2 kg sinker
descender or bottom-fish release tool

tip from an angler

Drop fast with the heavy sinker and let the bait rest on the mud bottom; the bite is light.

what the law says

rules for the gulf hake

Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: Not on the Brazilian national list (Ministerial Ordinance GM/MMA No. 1.667/2026).

Mexico: up to 5 per species and 10 saltwater fish per day

5 specimens of the species per angler per day, within the limit of 10 saltwater fish

In sport and recreational fishing in Mexican federal waters, each angler may keep up to 10 marine fish per day, no more than 5 of the same species. The Gulf hake has no species-specific limit (billfish, sharks, giant seatrout, tarpon, dorado, roosterfish and baya are the ones listed). Fish over the bag limit must go back alive, and sport-caught fish may not be sold. Fishing from a boat requires a permit, and sport fishing is banned in closed zones and seasons.

Source: Amendment to NOM-017-PESC-1994 (recreational sport fishing in federal waters of Mexico), signed Oct 14, 2013, items 4.3, 4.9.1, 4.9.5, 4.10 and 4.11 (Sagarpa/Conapesca)

catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.

It comes from 360 to 470 m and almost never survives decompression. Keep only what you plan to eat, because releasing a swollen fish rarely works.

in the kitchen

No traditional use is documented in the sources consulted. Close relatives, such as the abrótea, have white, soft flesh; bleed it, ice it and eat it fresh.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

total length (cm)

Length-weight relationship W = a·L^b (a = 0.00447, b = 3.15; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.

estimated weight

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sources and references

The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on field experience from anglers and guides. They are not official data or measurements made for this species and may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the rule and link. The fishing depth range, the common size and the ideal water temperature range, when FishBase does not give a value, are editorial estimates based on the species' biology.

scientific FishBase: Urophycis cirrata (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Urophycis cirrataNames by country and language. The name abrótea-do-golfo was adopted in this profile from the Spanish (merluza barbona del Golfo) and English (Gulf hake) names.
official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026: Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.
official NOM-017-PESC-1994, Para regular las actividades de pesca deportivo-recreativa en las aguas de jurisdicción federal de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos (modificação de 2013)Daily limit of 10 marine fish and 5 per species (item 4.9.1), return of the excess (4.9.5), closed seasons (4.10) and sales ban (4.11). Text checked in the DOF on Oct 13, 2026.

don't confuse

similar species

Phycidae

Brazilian codling

Urophycis brasiliensis

Bottom fish of the South and Southeast, a relative of the cods, with a barbel on the chin. Common in boat bottom fishing, especially in the cold months.

Sea

time of yearbest: May–Sep