Urophycis tenuis

Here two very close species are gathered whose distinctive characteristics overlap in the area of the Golfe the St. Lawrence:

Urophycis chuss ( merluche red , merluche-squirrel ; red hake, squirrel hake)
Urophycis tenuis ( merluche white ; white hake)

Names

Also called bearded cod , merluche , ling , merluchon , whiting or hake . In English: hake ; mud hake or ling . Denmark: skaegbrosmer . Spain: locha . Italy: musdea atlantica . Japan: heiku . Poland: meitus czerwony . Portugal: linguica . Russia: amerikanskiy nalim, krasnyy nalim .

Description

The merluches, which belong to the family of the Morue S (gadidés), are distinguished from the Merlu silver plated by their fine pelvic fins (rained long at the Merluche with long fins) and their teeth fewer. Contrary to the Cod and his/her cousins, the merluches have only two dorsal fins, whose first starts with a long filamentous ray. The merluches can reach the size of 1,3 m and the weight of 20 kg, but one captures exmplaires whose weight varies from 1 to 5 kg. The back goes from brown salts with reddish, with metal reflections. Its scales complicate threading besides, compared to the Morue.

Surface of distribution

The merluches prefer the soft funds and, rather sedentaries, they tolerate a good range of temperatures: from 1 to 10 °C for the young people and from 1 to 20 °C for the adults. They live water not very deep with some 900 m depths, being particularly concentrated around the Island-of-Prince-Edouard, in the Baie of Fundy and in the slopes of the Chenal laurentien, scattering south of the Labrador and Grand bench until the North Carolina.

Biology

The spawning time is in the south of the Golfe the St. Lawrence at semi-be, in the south-east of the Nova Scotia at the beginning of the autumn and in the Baie of Fundy with the winter and spring. The eggs 0,8 mms in diameter are equipped with oil globules and float in sea water, just like the larvae. The alevins become basic fish with the size of 10 cm. One noticed a deep water association with scallops, being able to shelter young people merluches from 5 to 15 cm. In one year, the merluches reach approximately 20 cm, in two years 35 cm and three years 45 cm. The females grow slightly more quickly than the males. They were nourissent principalent of Crustacés, like the Amphipode S, the Crevette S or the Copépode S, and of small fish, like the Hareng, the Maquereau, the Chaboisseau, the Lançon or the Poulamon, and of Calmar S, but seldom of Mollusque S with shells. Its important swim Bladder (also called gas bladder or valleys ) is used to him as jacket of buoyancy.

Fish

Fishing is done with the trawl with panels, the trawl line and the palangrotte in coastal and pre-coastal water. The season of principal fishing extends from June to November. In the estuaries, like that of Kennebécassis (New Brunswick), one captures the merluche under the ice. It consitue a regular accidental catch in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence, inter alia at the time of fishing to the Cod. The merluche is abundant with the Island-of-Prince-Edouard, where it is very appraisal.

Food

The merluche is a thin fish with white flesh, a little fattier and tasty that of the Morue. It is offered fresh, frozen (in nets and blocks), salted and smoked; one makes of them also sticks and portions. Its liver gives a required oil and its swim Bladder can be cooked or be used like source as Gélatine.

External bonds

Agro-alimentary Canada
Fishings and Océans Canada

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