Shallow-water Cape hake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shallow-water Cape hake |
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The Shallow-water Cape hake (also known as Merluccius capensis) is a type of fish found in the ocean. It lives in the southeastern Atlantic Ocean, mostly along the coast of South Africa. This fish has a long, thin body and a large head. It looks quite similar to the European hake and the deep-water Cape hake.
During the day, it stays near the bottom of the ocean, usually not deeper than 400 meters (about 1,300 feet). At night, it swims up higher to hunt for food. It also travels south in spring and north in autumn. This hake is a very important fish for fishing businesses in southern Africa.
What Does the Cape Hake Look Like?
The Shallow-water Cape hake is very similar to the European hake and the deep-water Cape hake. It usually grows to about 50 centimeters (20 inches) long. The biggest ones can be around 120 centimeters (nearly 4 feet) long.
This fish has a long, slender body and a big head. Its back is light brown, and its belly is white or silvery. It has two fins on its back. The first back fin has one strong spine and 9 to 11 soft rays. The second back fin has 38 to 43 soft rays. The fin on its underside has no spines and 37 to 41 soft rays. Its tail fin is either flat or slightly curved inwards.
Where Does the Cape Hake Live?
The Shallow-water Cape hake lives along the coast of South Africa. Its home range extends southwards and even into the Indian Ocean. On the east coast of South Africa, you won't find many of them north of KwaZulu-Natal.
On the west coast, this hake lives as far north as Benguela in Angola. In this area, it shares its home with another type of hake called the Benguela hake. The Shallow-water Cape hake prefers to live close to the ocean floor. It can be found at depths from 50 to 500 meters (about 160 to 1,640 feet). However, it usually stays above 400 meters. It sometimes lives in the same areas as the deep-water Cape hake, especially between 200 and 400 meters deep.
In South Africa, the Shallow-water Cape hake is one of the most important fish for food. It is caught using a method called demersal trawling, where large nets are dragged along the ocean bottom. The fishing industry for this hake is managed by groups like the South Africa Deep Sea Trawling Industries Association (SADSTIA). Locally, people sometimes call this fish "stockfish." This name comes from the Afrikaans word stokvis. But don't confuse it with the dried cod that is also called stockfish!
How Does the Cape Hake Live and Eat?
The Shallow-water Cape hake is a type of carnivore, meaning it eats other animals. It can eat many different kinds of food. Young hake mostly eat small deep-sea fish and small sea creatures like crabs and shrimp. Bigger hake also eat squid and other fish. Smaller hake and jack mackerel are a big part of their diet.
This hake moves up and down in the water every day. During the day, it stays near the bottom (this is called being demersal). But at night, it swims up into the open water to feed (this is called being nektonic). It also travels with the seasons. It moves south in the spring and north in the autumn. Some reports say they lay eggs all year round, while others say it happens mostly from mid-spring to early summer.
The Shallow-water Cape hake is often caught by fishermen along with the deep-water Cape hake. This is because they sometimes live in the same areas. Most fishing reports combine catches of both types of hake. However, the Shallow-water Cape hake's range extends further north along the coast of Angola, where the deep-water Cape hake is not usually found.
