Note sur la limite méridionale de l'aire de distribution du merlu

Author from the last century: Day (1884), Cunningham (896) limit the hake's geographic distribution area (Merlucius merlilccius L.) to Madeira, in the South. Their point of view is based on the rarity, more apparent than real, of the hake in the Madeiran waters, where only fishermen catch it, even in these days, with a line, and at depths of 200 to 444 fathoms. Couch (1866) writes that this fish is greatly appreciated in the Cape of Good Hope, but he probably confused the European hake with the Cape hake (Merlucius capensis, Guichenot) that we described in our monographic study. At first sight, the Cape hake differs from our hake by the length (more marked) of its mandible which sticks out over the upper jaw, and by the length of its pectoral fin (which extends past the anus, and reaches the third ray of the anal fin).