FISHES OF THE GULF OF MAINE 447 



156. Squirrel hake ( Urophycis chuss Walbauni) 

 Hake 



Jordan and Evermann, 1S96-1900, p. 2555. 



Description. — The "squirrel" so closely resembles the white hake (p. 44G) 

 that the one is often taken for the other. The number of scales affords the most 

 reliable means of identification, those of the "squirrel" being much larger and 

 arranged in about 100 to 110 oblique cross rows along the side from gill opening 

 to base of caudal fin, and in only about 9 longitudinal rows on the upper sides 

 between lateral line and dorsal fin, as against about 140 transverse and 12 longi- 

 tudinal rows, respectively, in the white hake (p. 446). The ventral fins of the 

 "squirrel" overlap the vent as a rule, whereas those of the white hake fall short of 

 it, but, as already remarked, this is not invariably the case for we ourselves have 

 seen "squirrels" with ventrals failing to reach the vent. Furthermore the fila- 

 mentous part of the third ray of the first dorsal is much longer (if undamaged) 

 in the "squirrel" than in the white hake — that is, three to five times as long as 

 the rest of the fin — and the nose is blunter. The number of fin rays is about the 

 same in the two species. 



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Fig. 220.— Squirrel hake ( Urophycis ckuss) 



Color. — The squirrel hake is reddish, muddy, or olive brown on sides and 

 back, darkest above, sometimes almost black, sometimes more or less mottled, and 

 sometimes plain, with pale lateral line, its lower sides usually washed with yellowish 

 and sometimes dusky dotted. Its belly and the lower sides of its head are pure 

 white, grayish, or yellowish; its dorsal, caudal, and anal fins are of the same color 

 as the back except that the latter is pale at the base. The ventrals are very pale 

 pinkish or yellowish. 



Size. — The "squirrel" does not grow to as large a size as the white hake, seldom 

 reaching a greater length than 30 inches (the largest of 780 Bay of Fundy fish 

 measured by Craigie was about 27 inches long) , or greater weight than 6 to 8 pounds. 

 The average of the commercial catch will not run above 2 to 5 pounds. Females 

 are both longer and heavier than males of the same age (p. 452). 



We are forced to discuss these two hakes together for they are so hard to 

 distinguish, one from the other, that few fishermen recognize the existence of more 

 than one kind — in fact it is not unlikely that they intergrade — and they agree so 

 closely in distribution and habits that what is said of one applies equally to the 

 other except for their spawning (p. 452). 

 102274— 25 f 29 



