Author: (Linnaeus, 1758)

Merluccius merluccius (Linnaeus, 1758)

Diagnosis: D1 8-11; D2 35-40; A 36-40. Gillrakers total 8-12, 7-9 on lower limb. Vertebrae (49) 50-52. Colour: usually slate grey above, lighter on sides and belly white, inside of mouth and branchial cavity black. Size: to 120 cm SL, usually 30-70 cm.

Habitat: midwater or at bottom, chiefly at 100-300 m, at edge and slope of continental shelf. In shoals, in deep water in winter and more inshore in summer; feeds mainly in midwater at night, returning to bottom at daytime. Food: almost entirely fish, in deep water blue whiting, in summer whiting, Norway pout, herring. Reproduction: in north later than in south, usually April-July off Ireland and May-August off Scotland, early spring in Bay of Biscay, January-March off Morocco, whole year, mostly in winter and spring, in Mediterranean.

Distribution: north-eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black Sea. Elsewhere, southward recorded at Port-Etienne.

Eggs, larvae and young stages. Schmidt, 1907: 1, fig. 1-4, pl. I (fig. 1-13) | Ehrenbaum, 1909: 260, fig. | d'Ancona, 1933: 208, fig. 195-198, pl. XII (fig. 15-19), pl. XIII (fig. 1-3).
Otoliths (sagitta). Koken, 1884: 529, pl. IX (fig. I) | Vaillant, 1888: 301 | Fryd, 1901: 27 | Pieragnoli, 1918: 27, pl. I (fig. 17) | Frost, 1926: 484, pl. XXII (fig. 6) | Sanz Echeverría, 1926: 160, fig. 69-70; 1935: 264, pl. XXX (fig. 19-25) | Weiler, 1935: 35, fig. 45 | Maurin, 1954: 21, fig. 8 | Schmidt, 1968: 20, pl. 3 (fig. 42), pl. 16 | Bouhlal & Ktari, 1975: 7, pl. 1-2.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Superclass Gnathostomata
Class Osteichthyes
Order Gadiformes
Family Merlucciidae
Genus Merluccius
Species Merluccius merluccius

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Accepted name: Merluccius merluccius (Linnaeus, 1758)

Scientific synonyms and common names

Merluccius merluccius (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms:

Gadus merluccius Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., ed. X: 254 ('Habitat in Oceano').
Gadus ruber Lacepède, 1803, Hist. nat. Poiss., 5: 671-673 (Écosse, FÉcamp, Dieppe, Boulogne).
Merluccius smiridus Rafinesque, 1810, Caratt. Gen. Spec. Sicil.: 25 (Sicilia).
Onus riali Rafinesque, 1810, Ind. Ittiol. sicil.: 12 (sicilia).
Merlucius esculentus Risso, 1826, Hist. nat. Eur. mérid.: 220 (Nice).
Merluccius vulgaris Fleming, 1828, Hist. Brit. Anim.: 195 (southern coast of England and Ireland, rare in Scotland).
Hidronus marlucius Minding, 1832, Naturg. Fische: 84 (Nordsee, Mittelmeer).
Merlucius sinuatus Swainson, 1838, Nat. Hist. Fishes, 1: 319, fig. 73 (Mediterranean).
Merlucius ambiguus Lowe, 1840, Proc. zool. Soc. London, 8: 37 (Madeira).
Merluccius vulgaris: Day, 1882, 1: 300, pl. LXXXV (fig. I) Sund in Andersson et al., 1942: 187, pl. 56 (col.) Soljan, 1948: 237, fig.
Merlucius merluccius: Smitt, 1843, 1: 515, pl. XXV (fig. I) (col.) Dieuzeide et al., 1959: 184, fig. p. 185.
Merlucius lanatus Gronow, 1854, ed. Gray, Cat. Fish.: 130 ('Mari Gallico, Mediterraneo').
Merluccius linnei Malm, 1877, Göteb. Bohusl. Fauna: 489 (Göteborg, Vinga).
Merlucius vulgaris: Moreau, 1881, 3: 251.
Trachinoides maroccanus Borodin, 1934, Bull. Vanderbilt mar. Mus., 1(4): 120, pl. II (fig. 2-3) (Casablanca).
Merluccius merluccius: Fowler, 1936: 486, fig. 236 Poll, 1947: 191, fig. 129 Svetovidov, 1948: 131, fig. 20, pl. VI (fig. 1), pl. XXXIX, pl. LXIX (fig. 8) Andriashev, 1954: 154, fig. 76 Lozano Rey, 1960: 432, fig. 143 Svetovidov, 1964: 162, fig. 44 Wheeler, 1969: 281, fig. Tortonese, 1970: 417, fig. 171 Bini, 1970, 3: 93, col. fig
Merluccius merluccius atlanticus Cadenat, 1950, Congr. Pêches Pêcher. Un. Franc. Outre-Mer: 128; 1952, Journ. Conseil, 8 (2): 231 (eastern Atlantic).
Merluccius merluccius mediterraneus Cadenat, 1950, ibid.: 128; 1952, ibid.: 231 (Mediterranean).


Common names:

bacaliàros [He]
colin [Fr]
hake [En]
heek [Ne]
Iysing [No]
kulmule [Da]
kummel [Sv]
merlu blanc [Fr]
merlu [Fr]
merluza [Es]
merluza [Ru]
nasello [It]
oslic [Hr]
pescada marmota [Pr]
pescadinha [Pr]
Seehecht [De]

Ancona, U. d'. 1933c. Gadidae, Berycoidei, Lampridae. In: Uova, larve e stadi giovanili di Teleostei. Fauna Flora Golfo Napoli, 38 :178-255, 280-306, fig. 167-226, 240-244, pl. XII-XV, XVII-XVIII.

Andersson, K. A., ed. 1942. Fiskar och fiske i Norden. 1, Fiskar och fiske i havet. Stockholm, xvi+540 pp., 83 col. pl., 230 fig. 2, Fiskar och Fiske i Sjör och Floder: pp. xvii-xxiv+541-1016, fig. 231-426, col. pl. 84-128. (New edition in 1954, 2: pp. 425-769, 190 fig., 42 col. pl.)

Andriashev, A. P. 1954. Ryby severnykh morei SSSR. Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR. Moskwa-Leningrad. (English trans. 1964, Jerusalem, IPST, 617 pp., 300 fig.)

Bini, G. 1967-1972. Atlante dei pesci delle Coste italiane. Mondo Sommerso, Milano, 9 vol: I, 1967, Leptocardi, Ciclostomi, Selaci, 206 pp., 66 fig. + 64 col. fig. II, 1971, Osteitti (Acipenseriformi, Clupeiformi, Mictofiformi, Anguilliformi), 300 pp., 73 col. fig. III, 1970, Notacantiformi . . . Zeiformi, 229 pp., 34 fig. + 63 col. fig. IV, 1968, Perciformi (Mugiloidei, Percoidei), 163 pp., 34 fig. + 49 col. fig. V, 1968, Perciformi (Percoidei), 175 pp., 22 fig. + 56 col. fig. VI, 1968, Perciformi (Trichiuroidei . . . Blennioidei), 177 pp., 48 fig + 57 col. fig. VII,1969, Perciformi (Ofidioidei . . . Dactilopteroidei), 196 pp., 57 fig. + 59 col. fig. VIII,1968, Pleuronettiformi, Echeniformi, Gobioesociformi, Tetraodontiformi, Lofiformi, 164 pp., 34 + 63 fig. IX, 1972, Introduzione. Parte generale. Aggiornamenti. Indici. 176 p.

Borodin, N. A. 1934. Fishes [Sci. Res. of the yacht 'Alva' Medit. Cruise 1933 . . .] Bull.

Bouhlal, M.; Ktari, M. H. 1975. Croissance du merlu de la region du Golfe de Tunis. BulL Inst. Nat. Sci. Techn. Ocean. Peche, Salambo, 4 (1): 547, 9 fig., 2 pl.

Cadenat, J. 1950. Note sur les merlus de la côte occidentale d'Afrique. Congr. Pêches Pêcher. Un. Franc. d'Outre-Mer, Inst. Col. Marseille: pp. 128-130.

Cadenat, J. 1952. Note au sujet des merlus de la région de Dakar. J. Cons. perm. int. Explor. Mer, 8 (2): pp. 230-233.

Day, F. 1880-1884. The Fishes of Great Britain and Ireland. London-Edinburgh, 2 vol., cxii+336 pp., 5 +7 fig., 92 pl. and 388 pp., 87 pl. 1880: 1(1): pp. 1-64, pl. I-XXVII; 1881: 1(2) (3): pp. 65-240, pl. XXVIII-LXVIII; 1882: 1(4): pp. 241-336, pl. LXIX-XCII; 2 (5): pp. 1-96, pl. XCIII-CXVI; 1883: 2 (6): pp. 97-176, pl. CXVII-CXXXII; 2 (7): pp. 177-272, pl. CXXXIII-CXLVIII; 1884: 2 (8): pp. 273-368, pl. CXLIX-CLXXIX.

Dieuzeide, R.; Novella, M.; Rolaod, J. 1959. Catalogue des Poissons des côtes algériennes. II, Ostéoptérygiens, 2e éd. revue et augmentée, 299 p.

Ehrenbaum, E. 1905-1909. Eier und Larven von Fischen der Nordischen Planktons, Teil I, 1905, 4: iv + I 1-I 216 + iii, fig. 1-82; Teil II, 1909, 10: I 217-I 413, fig. 83-147.

Fleming, J. 1828. A history of British animals exhibiting the descriptive characters and systematical arrangements of the genera and species of quadrupeds, birds, reptiles, fishes, mollusca and radiata of the U.K.; including the indigenous, extirpated and extinct kinds, together with periodical and occasional visitants. EdinburgLondon, xxiii + 565 pp. (2nd ed., 1842, same pag.).

Fowler, H. W. 1936. The Marine Fishes of West Africa, based on the collection of the American Museum Congo Expedition 1909-1915. Bull. am. Mus. nat. Hist., 70 (1), Jan. 21, 1936: pp. vii+1-606, fig. 1-275; (2), Nov. 18, 1936: pp. 607-1493, fig. 276-567.

Franca, P. da 1952. Merluccius merluccius (L.) et Merluccius senegolensis Cadenat: seus caracteres distintivos. Not. est. Inst. Biol. Marit., Lisboa, 3: pp. 1-36, 5 fig.

Frost, G. A. 1926c. Comparative study of the otoliths of the Neopterygian Fishes (continued), XIII, Order Anacanthini. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist., (9)18: 483-490, pl. XXII.

Fryd, G. 1901. Die Otolithen der Fische in Bezug auf ihre Bedeutung für Systematik und Altersbestimmung. Inaug. Diss., Kiel-Altona: 54 p., 14 fig.

Gronow, L. T. 1854. Catalogue of fishes collected and described by Laurence Theodore Gronow, now in the British Museum. Edited from the manusaipt, by John Edward Gray, London: vii+196 pp.

Koken, E. 1884. Über Fisch-Otolithen, insbesondere über die jenigen der norddeutschen Oligocän-Ablagerungen. Z. dt. geol Ges., 36 (3): 500-565, pl. IX-XII.

Lacepède, B. 1798-1803. Histoire naturelle des Poissons, 5 vol. in-4, Paris. I: 1798, 8+cxlvii+532 pp., 25 pl., 1 tabl. (inset); II: 1800, Ixiv+632 pp., 20 pl.; III: 1801, 558 pp., 34 pl.; IV: 1802, xliv+728 pp., 16 pl.; V: 1803, xlviii+803 pp., 21 pl.

Linnaeus, C. 1758. Systema Naturae, ed. X, vol. 1, 824 pp. Nantes & Pisces: pp. 230-338. (Reprint, 1956, London.)

Lowe, R. T. 1840a. [description of certain new species of Madeiran fishes, with additional information relating to those already described]. Proc. zool. Soc. Lond., 8: 36-39.

Lozano y Rey, L. 1960. Peces fisodistos. Tercera parte. Subseries Toracicos (Ordenes Equeneiformes y Gobiformes), Pediculados y Asimetricos. Mems R. Acad. Cienc. exact. fis. nat. Madr., ser.: Cienc. nat., 14: 613 pp., 173 fig., 7 pl.

Malm, A. W. 1877. Göteborg och Bohusläns fauna. Ryggradsdjuren. Göteborg, 674 p., 9 pl.

Maurin, C. 1954. Les merlus du Maroc et leur pêche. Bull. Inst. Pêch. marit. Maroc, 2: 7-65, 26 fig.

Minding, J. 1832. Lehrbuch der Naturgeschichte der Fische: xii+132 p., Berlin.

Moreau, E. 1881-1891. Histoire naturelle des poissons de la France, Paris, I, 1881: pp. I-VII+1-480, fig. 1-82; II, 1881: pp. 1-572, fig. 83-145; III, 1881: pp. 1-697, fig. 146-220; Suppl., 1891: pp. 1-144, fig. 221-227.

Pieragnoli, L. 1918. Otoliti pliocenichi della Toscana. Riv. ItaL Paleont., 24: 21-44, 2 pl.

Poll, M. 1947. Poissons marins in Faune de Belgique. Bruxelles, 452 pp., 267 fig., 2 pl., 2 maps n. num. (inset).

Rafinesque-Schmaltz, C. S. 1810a. Caratteri di alcuni nuovi generi e nuove specie di animali (principalmente di pesci) e piante della Sicilia, con varie osservazioni sopra i medisimi. Palermo, 105 pp., 20 pl. (Reprint, 1967, Asher-Amsterdam.)

Rafinesque-Schmaltz, C. S. 1810b. Indice d'ittiologia siciliana ossia catalogo metodico dei nomi latini, italiani, e siciliani dei pesci, che si rinvengono in Sicilia, 69 pp., 2 pl. (Reprint, 1967, Asher-Amsterdam.)

Risso, A. 1826. Histoire naturelle des principales productions de l'Europe méridionale et particulièrement de celles des environs de Nice et des Alpes maritimes. Paris et Strasbourg, vol. III, XVI+486 pp., 16 pl.

Sanz Echeverria, J. 1926. Datos sobre el otolito, sagitta de los peces de España. Boln R. Soc. esp. Hist. nat., 26 (1): pp. 145-160, 71 fig.

Sanz Echeverria, J. 1935. Otolitos de los peces gadiformes de España. Boln R. Soc. esp. Hist. nat., 3S (5): 245-274, pl. XXIX-XXXI.

Schmidt, E. J. 1907a. On the post-larval development of the hake (Merluccius vulgaris Flem.). Meddr. Kommn Havunders., Ser.: Fisk., 2 (7): 10 pp., pl. I.

Schmidt, W. 1968. Vergleichend morphologische Studie über die Otolithen mariner Knochenfische. Arch. FischWiss., 19 (1): pp. 1-96, 184 fig., 25 pl.

Soljan, T. 1948. Fauna i flora jadrana. 1. Ribe Inst. Oceanogr. Ribarst. Jugoslavia. Zagreb, Hrvatske, 437 pp., 1350 fig.

Svetovidov, A. N. 1948. [Gadiformes. Fauna U.S.S.R., Fishes], 9 (2): 222 pp., 39 fig., pl. I-LXXII (in Russian, transl. Jerusalem, 1962, 232 pp.).

Svetovidov, A. N. 1964. Rîbî Chernogo Morya. [The fishes of the Black Sea]. Opred Faune SSSR, 86: pp. 1-552, fig. 1-191 (in Russian).

Swainson, W. 1838-1839. On the natural history and classification of fishes, amphibians and reptiles or monocardian animals, London, 2 vol., 1, 1838, 368 pp., 100 fig.; 2, 1839, 448 pp., 135 fig.

Tortonese, E. 1970e. Osteichthyes (Pesci ossei), Parte Prima. Fauna Ital., 10, Calderini, Bologna, 565 pp., 198 fig.

Vaillant, L. 1888. Poissons in Expéditions scientifiques du 'Travailleur' et du 'Talisman' pendant les années 1880-1883. Masson, Paris, 406 pp., 28 pl.

Weiler, W. 1935. Nemopteryx kubacskai n. sp. aus dem Kleinzeller Tegel bei Budapest, zugleich ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Gattung Nemopteryx Ag. und Merluccius L. Paläontol. Z., Berl., 17 (1-2): 27-44, 7 fig.

Wheeler, A. 1969. The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe. Macmillan, London, Melbourne and Toronto: pp. i-xvii+1-163, 5+177 fig., 392 fig. (princ. sp.), 92 n. num. fig., 16 pl., maps.

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