SECTION 6 

 Red hake {Urophyais ahuss) 



Life History Summary 



Red hake (also called ling or squirrel hake) are found in the continental 

 waters from the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the southern part of the Grand Banks 

 of Newfoundland southward to North Carolina, with the highest concentrations 

 occurring on the southwestern part of Georges Bank south to the Hudson Shelf 

 Valley (Bigelow and Schroeder 1953). Two stocks of red hake have been 

 reported; one inhabits the southwestern and southern parts of Georges Bank and 

 the second extends southwest from Cape Cod (Anderson 1982). Young specimens 

 sometimes are confused with white hake, but Musick (1973) described several 

 key field characteristics that separate these two species. Red hake are found 

 over mud or sand bottoms down to 460 m and exhibit a seasonal offshore to 

 inshore movement related to changes in bottom temperatures. 



There is a small recreational fishery for red hake off New York and a 

 commercial fishery using hook and line also has existed since colonial 

 times. Otter trawls are used to take red hake for both food and fish meal 

 production (Gusey 1976). 



Sexually mature (two-three year old) red hake spawn from May through 

 September in the New York 3ight area. The eggs and fry are pelagic and the 

 juveniles descend to the bottom when 7-12 cm long (Leim and Scott 1966). 

 Juveniles have been observed to enter and stay within sea scallop mantle 

 cavities, possibly to escape from predators; this behavior continues until 

 they outgrow their "home." Juveniles remain near the scallop beds until their 

 second autumn and then move offsnore to overwinter (Anderson 1982). 



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