446 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



155. White hake ( Urophycis tenuis Mitchill) 11 

 Boston hake; Black hake; Mud hake; Hake; Ling 

 Jordan and Evermann, 1896-1900, p. 2555. 



Description. — Although the hakes of the genus Urophycis ("true hakes" in 

 general parlance on this side of the Atlantic) are close relatives of the cod and 

 haddock, they are not at all codlike in appearance, being more slender and softer- 

 bodied fish, tapering backward from the shoulders to a slim caudal peduncle and 

 small weak tail, with much larger eyes but smaller chin barbels. There are only 

 two dorsal fins — the second many times longer than the first — and one anal fin, 

 instead of the three dorsals and two anals of the pollock, cod, and haddock. Fur- 

 thermore the ventrals are long, narrow, and feelerlike. The body of the white 

 hake is rounded in front of the vent, compressed behind it, and about five and one- 

 half times as long as deep. The mouth is so wide that it gapes back to below the 

 eyes, the upper jaw projects beyond the lower, and the chin bears a small barbel. 

 The first dorsal fin (9 to 10 rays) originates over the shoulders close behind the 

 pectorals and is shorter than the latter, triangular, the tip of its third ray elongate 

 and filamentous at the tip, with the free part longer than the fin proper is high. 

 The second dorsal (about 54 to 57 rays) runs the whole length of the trunk from 

 close behind the first dorsal to the caudal peduncle, is of about equal height from 

 end to end, with rounded corners, and is only about half as high as the first dorsal. 

 The anal is similar in outline to the second dorsal but shorter (about 48 to 50 rays). 

 The pectorals are rounded when spread; the ventrals, which are situated consider- 

 ably in front of the pectorals, are reduced to two very much elongate rays each 

 (apparently one branched ray), the lower (longer) falling slightly short of the vent; 

 and their length has often been given as a diagnostic character separating this 

 from the squirrel hake (p. 447), in which they are usually described as reaching 

 beyond the vent. We can verify Goode's (et al., 1884) statement that this distinc- 

 tion is not to be relied on, however, having seen squirrel hakes in which the ventrals 

 lacked something of reaching the vent. The scales on both head and body are 

 smaller than those of the closely allied squirrel hake, and their number is the most 

 reliable distinction between the two species, there being about 140 oblique rows of 

 scales between gill opening and base of tail fin in the white hake and seldom (if 

 ever) more than 110 rows of scales in the squirrel hake. 



Color. — Like most bottom fish hake vary in color. As a rule they are muddy 

 or reddish brown above, sometimes almost slaty (I saw one of this shade caught 

 in Northeast Harbor, Me.), the sides sometimes bronzed, and the belly dirty or 

 yellowish white peppered with tiny black dots. The dorsal fins are of the same 

 color as the back, the anal the same as the belly, and both black edged. The 

 ventrals are likewise pale like the belly but usually more tinged with yellow. 



Size. — The maximum length is about Z X A feet, the weight 30 pounds, but most 

 of the fish caught are between 1 and 20 pounds, averaging no more than 5 to 8 pounds. 

 A hake 28 inches long will "go" about 8J^ pounds if in good condition; 30 inches, 

 9 pounds; 36 to 38 inches, 13 to 16 pounds; and about 18 pounds at 40 inches, 

 according to Welsh's experience. 



» The European "hake" is Meriuccius (p. 386). 



