True hakes have two fins on the back, with a notch in the second fin, and a long fin on the underside. These fish vary in color. Many are brown to gray on top and silver to white on the belly and sides. Some species of fish that are commonly called hakes belong to the codfish family. These fish may have fins on the back or underside that extend into long, narrow feelers.
Hakes feed on shrimp, squid, and even other hakes.
Most scientists classify true hakes in the merluccid hakes family, Merlucciidae. Others classify them in the codfish family, Gadidae. Robert R. Rofen, Ph.D., Director, Aquatic Research Institute. How to cite this article.