450 



SEVENTH REPORT OF THE FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 



140. Hake; White Hake irrophvcis tenuis Mitchill). 



Gadiis tenuis Mitchill, Rept. Fish. N. Y., 5, 1814; Trans. Lit. (S: Phil. Soc. N. Y., I, 

 372, 1815, New York. 



Pliycis tennis DeKay, N. Y. Fauna, Fish. 293, 1842; Bean, 19th Rept. Comm. Fish. N. 

 Y., 248, pi. Ill, fig. 4. 1890; Bean, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., IX, 372, 1897; Jor- 

 dan & EvERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus., Ill, 255s, 1898; IV, pi. CCCLXV, 

 fig. 901, 1900; Bean, 520! Ann. Rept. N. Y. State Mus., 109, 1900. 



Brownish, lighter and yellowish below ; fins very dark. Distintjuished from 

 P. cliuss chiefly by the smaller scales. 



DeKay calls the Hake the American Codling, adopting Mitchill's common name 

 for the species. He says it appears to feed chiefly on smaller Crustacea ; that it is 

 very abundant at some seasons, but most abundant in the early part of autumn ; 

 and varies in weight from 3 pounds to 30 pounds. He states that it is called indis- 



:--ifeiJ 



WHITE HAKE; COMMON HAKE. 



criminately Make and Codling by New York fishermen. Small individuals were 

 seined in Mcco.k Bay August 2, 1898, and a very young example was received 

 from Soutliami)ton September 11. This was caught in the Atlantic. In Great 

 South Bay small examples were found sparingly at Blue Point Cove and Fire 

 Island late in September. 



The Hake, according to Dr. Smith, is known also as White Hake and Squirrel 

 Hake in the vicinity of Woods Hole, Mass. Fish weighing 1 to iji pounds are 

 abundant there in November, when a great many of them enter Eel Pond. Young 

 fish I inch long and upward associate with Pollack in spring and are also found 

 throughout the summer in considerable numbers. They are also obtained in sum- 

 mer at the surface, under gulf weed and eel grass. 



As a rule the Common Hake will not live in water of a temperature above 60° P., 

 but one individual survived the summer temperature in 1897, and became plump and 

 sleek after the arrival of cold weather. In summer it was much emaciated, and suf- 

 fered greatly from fungus attacks. 



