Head to head
European Hake vs Atlantic Cod
European Hake
VS Atlantic Cod
The European hake and the Atlantic cod are two of the most important white fish of the north Atlantic, and both are staples of fish counters and menus.
| European Hake | Atlantic Cod | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Merluccius merluccius | Gadus morhua |
| Relationship | A hake, in a different family from the cod | The best-known member of the cod family |
| Body | A long, slim, silvery-grey body with a large head and a big mouth with sharp teeth, usually 40 to 100 cm long | A heavy-bodied, mottled fish, typically 0.5 to 1 m and up to about 40 kg |
| Chin barbel | No chin barbel | A single, sensitive barbel hanging from its chin, packed with taste buds |
| Hunting | Spends the day near the sea bed and rises into the water at night to hunt shoaling fish | Feeds on herring, capelin, sand lance, crabs, and worms, using its barbel to find prey hidden in sand or mud |
| Diet | Sardines, anchovies, blue whiting, squid, and crustaceans, and large hake sometimes eat smaller hake | A wide range of fish and invertebrates, with larger cod even eating smaller cod on occasion |
| Habitat | The continental shelf and slope, usually in water from around 70 to 370 m deep, from Norway to West Africa and the Mediterranean | Cold and temperate waters of the North Atlantic |
| Conservation status | Least Concern, with northern stocks recovering under management | Vulnerable, with several major stocks still far below historic levels |
European Hake vs Atlantic Cod: common questions
Which fish is more popular in Spain?
The European hake, which is one of the most popular and valuable fish in Spain and southern Europe.
Which one hunts at night?
The European hake, which rises from the sea bed at night to hunt shoaling fish such as sardines and anchovies.
Which one has collapsed under fishing?
The Atlantic cod, whose Grand Banks stock collapsed by 1992 and whose major stocks remain far below historic levels.