Merluccius merluccius

European hake
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Gadiformes
Family:	Merlucciidae
Genus:	Merluccius
Species:	M. merluccius
Binomial name
Merluccius merluccius (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
Gadus merluccius Linnaeus, 1758 Gadus ruber Lacepède, 1803 Hidronus marlucius Minding, 1832 Merluccius argentatus Günther, 1862 Merluccius esculentus Risso, 1827 Merluccius linnei Malm, 1877 Merluccius smiridus Rafinesque, 1810 Merluccius vulgaris Fleming, 1828 Merlucius ambiguus Lowe, 1841 Merlucius lanatus Gronow, 1854 Merlucius sinuatus Swainson, 1838 Onus riali Rafinesque, 1810 Trachinoides maroccanus Borodin, 1934 Trachinoides moroccanus Borodin, 1934

Merluccius merluccius, the European hake, is a merluccid hake of the genus Merluccius. Other vernacular names include Cornish salmon and herring hake. It is a predatory species, which was often netted alongside one of its favoured prey, the Atlantic herring, hence the latter common name. It is found in the eastern Atlantic from Norway and Iceland south to Mauritania and into the Mediterranean Sea. It is an important species in European fisheries and is heavily exploited, with some populations being fished unsustainably.