south pacific hake
Merluccius gayi · Merlucciidae · predator
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
the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
—
hour by hour
tap or drag on the chart to read each hour · on a keyboard, arrow keyssee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
choose the day
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.
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the south pacific hake
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.
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
—
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.
similar species
where each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: