Phylum Chordata Rank Species | Scientific name Urophycis chuss Higher classification Urophycis | |
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Similar Urophycis, White hake, Silver hake, Windowpane flounder, Yellowtail flounder | ||
Red hake with sardines
The red hake or squirrel hake, Urophycis chuss, is a phycid hake of the genus Urophycis, found in the Atlantic Ocean at depths between 10 and 500 m. It grows to about 30 in (75 cm) and 7 lb (3.2 kg). Red hake are edible, and are sought out by recreational fisherman as a gamefish.
Contents
Red hake summer flounder
About
Red hake are distributed from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to North Carolina. They are most abundant from the western Gulf of Maine to southern New England. Red hake prefer water temperatures between 5 and 12°C, causing them to migrate seasonally. Throughout the spring and summer, they migrate into more shallow waters to spawn. During winter, they tend to move to deeper waters offshore in the Gulf of Maine and along southern New England and Georges Bank. Red hake spawn from May until November.
Appearance
Depending on the environment, red hake vary in color. Most tend to be a reddish brown to olive-brown color on their sides with pale tan spots. Underneath, they vary in shades of white. Red hake have a barbel on their chin as they are a member of the cod family. Their dorsal fin in triangular, but their second dorsal and anal fins are long, continuous, and do not attach to the tail fin, much like an eel. The head is small, but has a large mouth with many small teeth.
