Biology and fishery of the Argentine hake (Merluccius hubbsi)

IRUSTA, G.; RODRIGUES, K. A.; SANTOS, B.; LOUGE, E.; VILLARINO, M.F.; MACCHI, G. J.; D´ATRI, L.; SIMONAZZI, M.

REVISTA DE INVESTIGACION Y DESARROLLO PESQUERO

INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE INVESTIGACIÓN Y DESARROLLO PESQUERO

Lugar: Mar del Plata; Año: 2016 vol. 28 p. 9 - 36

0325-6375

Argentine hake (Merluccius hubbsi) is a demersal, eurythermic and euryhaline species associated to subantartic waters of the continental shelf and slope. The species, considered the main fishery resourse of Argentina that in 2011 reached the maximum cath and export levels, distributes from Southern Brazil to 55º S in a 50-400 m depth range. The three stocks identified, located between 34-º S-41º S, south of said latitude and in the San Matías Gulf, show differences as regards reproduction and nursery areas and time, meristic and morphometric characters, abundance level and growht parameters. At the Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero (INIDEP) annual assessments of the exploitation status of the stocks north and south of 41º S are carried out and management recommendations made. In this chapter, the biology, fishery characteristics, population abundance and structure and management recommendations for the two main Argentine hake sotcks are described.