southern hake
Merluccius australis
A slender hake of southern South America, from Chile to Argentina, in cold, deep waters. It is a food fish and has great commercial value.
Also called: merluza-austral, merluza del sur, merluzón, maltona, southern hake
- maximum
- 155 cm
- depth
- 28–1,000 m
who is the southern hake
A hake of the family Merlucciidae, more slender than other hakes, which lives on the slope and shelf of southern South America, from Chile to Argentina. It reaches 155 cm. It feeds on fish, such as notothenias, and on squid. Adults probably migrate south in summer to feed, and return north in winter to spawn. There is also a separate population in New Zealand. It is a food fish and is also made into fishmeal. It is heavily exploited by commercial fishing.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the southern hake; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
A body more slender than other hakes, with a steel-gray back and a silvery, whitish belly. The gill rakers are short and thick, with rounded tips. The pectoral fins are long and thin, and in juveniles they reach the anal fin, which does not happen in fish over 50 cm. Because of its large size, up to 155 cm, it is told apart from the smaller hakes of the region.
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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.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
In South America it lives from Chile, at Chiloé, to southern Argentina, and on the Atlantic it follows the slope as far as latitude 38°S. Uruguay is also among the countries where it occurs.
Habitat: Slope and shelf of southern South America, between 28 and 1,000 m deep.
rules for the southern 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.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
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.
No dangerous spines. It lives on deep bottoms, and ascent causes barotrauma, so release it carefully.
in the kitchen
A food fish, used as food and as fishmeal.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00398, b = 3.1; 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
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Merluccius australis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Merluccius australisNames by country and language.
