Merluccius paradoxus Franca, 1960
Deep-water Cape hake
photo by Bañón Díaz, R.

Family:  Merlucciidae (Merluccid hakes)
Max. size:  115 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  bathydemersal; marine; depth range 200 - 1000 m, non-migratory
Distribution:  Southeast Atlantic: Cape Frio, Namibia south to the Agulhas Bank and east to East London in South Africa. Western Indian Ocean: Madagascar Ridge (33°S,44°E).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 1-1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 42-50; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 38-41. Body more slender than other hakes. Head large, about 25 to 30% of SL. Gill rakers short and thick with blunt tips. Pectoral fin tips reaching to level of anal fin origin. Color is steel gray on back, grading to silvery white ventrally.
Biology:  Found near the bottom. Feeds on fishes, mysids, euphausiids and squids. Young feed mainly on euphausiids, but the diet becomes polyphagous with growth. Cannibalism has been observed in larger individuals (Ref. 9583).
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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