FISHES OF THE GULF OF MAINE 



223 



of the fish that are caught weigh between 1 and 20 

 pounds, averaging no more than 8 pounds. A hake 

 28 inches long will weigh about 8% pounds if it is 

 in good condition; one of 30 inches, about 9 pounds; 

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

 pounds at 40 inches, according to Welsh's 

 experience. 



Squirrel hake Urophycis chuss (Walbaum) 1792 

 Red hake; Ling 

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



Description. — The squirrel hake resembles its 

 larger relative, the white hake (p. 221) so closely 

 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 relatively than those of the white, and 

 arranged in only about 100 to 110 oblique cross 

 rows along the side from gill opening to base of 

 caudal fin, and in about 9 longitudinal rows on the 

 upper part of the sides between lateral line and 

 dorsal fin, as against about 140 transverse rows 

 and about 12 longitudinal rows in the white hake 

 (p. 222). Also, the upper jaw (maxillary bone) 

 reaches back only as far as the rear edges of the 

 pupil in the squirrel hake, but as far as the rear 

 edge of the eye in the white hake (p. 222), and 

 this difference can be relied upon, even for very 

 small fish. 



The ventral fins of the squirrel hake overlap the 

 vent as a rule, whereas those of the white hake fall 

 short of it, but this is not invariably the case, as 

 already remarked (p. 222), for we have seen 

 squirrel hakes in which the ventrals did not reach 

 to the vent. Furthermore, the filamentous part 

 of the third ray of the first dorsal fin is much 

 longer (if undamaged) in the squirrel than in the 

 white hake, i. e., three to five times as long as the 



rest of the fin, and the nose is blunter. The color, 

 too, is of some value in identifying these species, 

 for while the squirrel hake is almost always reddish 

 brown, the white hake has a decidedly purplish 

 lustre when fresh caught. 



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. The lower part of its sides usually are washed 

 with yellowish, and sometimes marked with dusky 

 dots. Its belly and the lower parts of the 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 anal is pale at the base. 

 The ventral fins are very pale pinkish or yellowish. 



Size. — The squirrel hake does not grow so large 

 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 a greater weight than 6 to 7 pounds, and the 

 average of those caught will not run above 1 to 3 

 pounds. In fact, a fish as heavy as 5 pounds is 

 exceptional. Females are both longer and heavier 

 than males of the same age (p. 226). 



Habits. — These two hakes, 26 like many other 

 sea fishes, spend their first months drifting at or 

 near the surface, and fry of K to 4 inches (among 

 which both species are no doubt represented) 

 are often taken in summer under floating eelgrass 

 or rockweed. On calm days we have seen them 

 darting to and fro on the surface on many oc- 

 casions (p. 224). And it is evident that the dura- 

 tion of this pelagic stage varies, for we have towed 

 fry as long as 4 inches on the surface although 

 others seek the bottom while they still are only 



'• The youDgest stages of the two species are so much alike that In most 

 cases we have been forced to list them simply as "hake," awaiting more critical 

 examination than we have been able to give them. 



Figure 106. — Squirrel hake (Urophycis chuss), off Marthas Vineyard. From Goode Drawing by H. L. Todd. 



