White hake
| White hake | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Gadiformes |
| Family: | Phycidae |
| Genus: | Urophycis |
| Species: | U. tenuis |
| Binomial name | |
| Urophycis tenuis (Mitchill, 1814) | |
The white hake or mud hake (Urophycis tenuis) is a phycid hake of the genus Urophycis, found in the deeper waters in the northwest Atlantic Ocean.
Description
The species can grow to be up to 30 cm by the end of the first year, and 400 mm if male and 480 mm if female by the first reproduction. It grows to a maximum length of 1.35 m (4.4 ft).[1]
Distribution and habitat
The white hake is found in the northwest Atlantic from North Carolina to Newfoundland, at depths of about 180–1,000 m (590–3,280 ft).[1]
Reproduction and development
Spawning season for the white hake starts in late winter or early spring. It has been difficult to study the breeding habits of the white hake due to researchers’ issue with finding ripe females. Studies have found that larvae for the species occur in warm Slope Sea waters, but further along in development, the species can be found in continental shelf waters.
References
- 1 2 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2006). "Urophycis tenuis" in FishBase. April 2006 version.
- Bailly, N. (2014). Urophycis tenuis (Mitchill, 1814). In: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. (2014) FishBase. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=126504 on 2015-02-18