30 from Chile (160.7 490.0 mm SL), catalogue numbers: see Inada. (1981b).
Description:
D I, 9-12, 37-42; A 36-42; P1 15-17; P2 7; BR 7; ORS 108-128; GR 3- 6+15-19=19-25;
V 21-24+27-30=49 53.
HL 26.0-30.5% of SL; ED 15.6-18.9; BD 16.2-18.4; SN 29.3-34.1; IO 24.3-28.0;
UJ 43.7-48.5; P1 L 19.0-23.4;九L 12.3-15.1; PreD 29.7-32.7.
Body elongate, slightly compressed; snout slightly depressed. Head, eyes,
mouth large; end of upper jaw reaching below midpoint of eye; lower jaw
projecting further forward than 島upper; pointed and large canine like teeth
on both jaws, depressible inward. Dorsal fins two; middle of second dorsal
and anal fins deeply notched; pectoral fin long, its tip reaching to or
extending beyond origin of anal fin; caudal margin usually concave. Scales
somewhat large. Ribs usually 3. Body uniformly silvery except for darker
dorsal region.
Distribution:
Mainly on the continental shelf o任Peru and Chile, South America, from the Mancora Bank, 4・S to the Chiloe Island, 40'S; some populations living in the Moraleda Channel (Zama and Cardenas, 1984). The distribution is discontinuous from southern Peru to northern Chile. Depth range is from 50 m to 500 m.
Remarks:
This species is separated into two subspecies, M. g. ρeruvianus from Peru and M. g. g,のi from Chile. Chilean hake move to southern coastal areas in summer and migrate to northern deeper waters (200-500 m depth) in winter and spring. The spawning season is in spring (August to November). The Chilean subspecies grows to 41 cm SL (male), 46 cm SL (female) by the age of 4 years, females maturing at 42 cm SL. The Maximum length recorded is 87 cm SL. This fish migrates vertically to midwater at night feeding on fishes, squids and euphausids. It di任ers from the very similar New Zealand hake, M. G附tralis by characters such as scales, eye size, pectoral fin length, and shape of caudal fin margin (Inada, 1981b).
(Tadashi INADA)
Distribution of Merluccius gayi gayi in Patagonia.