south pacific hake
Merluccius gayi
Chilean hake, highly commercial, which rises into the water column at night to feed. It lives between 50 and 500 m deep.
Also called: merluza-chilena, merluza común, merluza del Pacífico sur, south Pacific hake
- maximum
- 87 cm
- depth
- 50–500 m
who is the south pacific hake
The Chilean hake belongs to the family Merlucciidae and reaches 87 cm. It lives from the shelf to the upper slope, between 50 and 500 m, in the southeastern Pacific, along the Chilean coast, from Arica to Chiloé Island. In winter and spring it migrates to deeper northern waters, between 200 and 500 m, and in summer it moves to the coastal areas of the south. Spawning occurs in late winter and spring in the southern hemisphere. At night it rises to midwater and eats fish, squid and krill. It is sold fresh and frozen, and also goes to fishmeal.
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 south pacific hake; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Hake with an elongated body, silvery on the back and whitish on the belly. The tail edge is concave, and the species is separated from the Peruvian hake, which lives farther north, by details of the head and skeleton, not by color. It lives near the bottom or in midwater, between 50 and 500 m.
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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
Occurs in the southeastern Pacific, along the coast of Chile, from Arica to Chiloé Island.
Habitat: Shelf and slope, between 50 and 500 m, in schools, near the bottom or in midwater.
when to fish
best time of day
Nighttime. It rises into the water column at night to feed on fish, squid and krill.
rules for the south pacific 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.
It poses no danger to anglers. As a deep-water fish, rapid ascent causes barotrauma, so release it carefully.
in the kitchen
It is sold fresh and frozen, and eaten boiled, fried, steamed or in the microwave.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.0138, b = 3.05; 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 gayi (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 gayiNames by country and language.
