European Hake Identification Guide
How to identify European hake by its slim silvery body, large toothy mouth, and no chin barbel.
Read the full European Hake encyclopedia entry →Key identification features
- Elongated, slender body, silvery-grey above with lighter flanks
- Large head with a big mouth full of sharp, backward-curving teeth
- No chin barbel
- Two dorsal fins, the second long with a shallow notch
- Long anal fin roughly matching the second dorsal in shape
- Deeply forked tail and a fairly pointed snout; commonly 40-100 cm long
Common look-alikes
- Silver hake: nearly identical body plan but restricted to the western Atlantic, so geography is the key separator
- Pollack: deeper-bodied with a curved lateral line and golden tones, versus hake's more uniform silvery, slender build
- Atlantic cod: much heavier body with a prominent chin barbel, which is absent in hake
Where you'll see one
European hake is widespread over continental shelf and slope waters of the northeast Atlantic and throughout the Mediterranean Sea, typically found from moderate depths down to several hundred meters, and often moves inshore into shallower water at night to feed on smaller fish and squid before retreating deeper by day.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know I'm looking at a hake and not a cod?
Hake has no chin barbel and a sleeker, more silvery body, while cod carries an obvious barbel and a heavier, mottled frame.
How can I separate European hake from silver hake?
The two look almost alike, but their ranges don't overlap - European hake is found in the northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean, silver hake only in the northwest Atlantic.