320 Red Hake 



Economic Importance: Large quantities of this species are 

 taken by the commercial fisheries, particularly north of 

 Cape Cod. The larger fish are mostly marketed as fresh 

 or frozen fillets, while the small ones may be sold mixed 

 with the smaller-sized red hake for use as mink, cat, and 

 poultry feed. Both species of hake are commonly caught 

 by anglers. 



Red Hake, Ling 

 Urophycis chuss (Walbaum) 



Color: Back and sides brown, red-brown, or olive-brown; 



lower sides silvery with a yellow tinge; belly gray, white, 



or yellow. 



Distribution: Newfoundland to Virginia. 



Size: Reaches a length of about IV2 feet and a weight of 8 



pounds. 



General Information: Both the Red Hake and the white 



hake occupy the same type of environment and are often 



taken together. Spawning occurs in spring and summer. 



The eggs are buoyant. The young are 2-3 inches long by 



the end of the first year and the adults are about \V3-\V2 



feet long when 3 years old. The Red Hake feeds on small 



crustaceans and fishes. 



Economic Importance: The larger specimens of Red Hake 



are marketed together with the larger specimens of white 



hake for human consumption. Quantities of Red Hake are 



caught for use as mink, cat, and poultry feed. Both species 



of hake are commonly taken by anglers bait-fishing on the 



bottom. 



