Merluccius hubbsi
Argentine hake supplier sourcing: fillets, HGT and blocks
Wild-caught Argentine hake (Merluccius hubbsi) from FAO Area 41, processed in Mar del Plata and Patagonia. Send your specification and we match you with Argentine processors that can quote it.
Argentine hake at a glance
| Scientific name | Merluccius hubbsi |
|---|---|
| Trade names | Argentine hake, Argentinian hake, hubbsi hake; merluza in Spanish |
| Catch area | FAO Major Fishing Area 41, Southwest Atlantic |
| Range | Southern Brazil to about 55 degrees South, mainly 50 to 400 m deep |
| Stocks | Northern stock (north of 41 degrees S, shared with Uruguay) and southern stock (south of 41 degrees S, inside Argentina's EEZ). Assessed yearly by INIDEP. |
| Fishing method | Bottom trawl |
| Size | Maximum about 95 cm total length; males commonly to 50 cm, females to 60 cm (FAO) |
| Main landing port | Mar del Plata (Buenos Aires province). Also Puerto Madryn, Puerto Deseado, Comodoro Rivadavia. |
| Freezing | Sea-frozen (on board) or land-frozen (processing plant); IQF, interleaved or block |
Sources: FAO species fact sheet, INIDEP, MarinTrust. Full list on our sources page.
Presentations and typical specifications
Ranges below are examples published by Argentine processors. Each supplier confirms its own grades, packing and glazing in its quote.
Skinless fillets
Boneless or few bones (PBI). IQF or interleaved. Example weight grades: 40-60, 60-100, 100-140, 140-180, 180-220 g (sea-frozen interleaved); 50-200 and 200-400 g (IQF).
Example packing: 10 kg cartons; 14 kg (2 x 7 kg) for sea-frozen interleaved.
Skin-on fillets
Scaled, skin kept, boneless or few bones. Fresh or frozen. Used for retail and foodservice presentations.
HGT / H&G
Headed, gutted and tailed fish, frozen in blocks or interleaved. Example grades: 80-300 g, 300-500 g, 500 g and up.
The standard format for secondary processors.
Fish blocks and minced
Blocks for breading and portioning lines, with pin bones in or out, and minced hake.
What to include in a hake request
- Presentation: skinless or skin-on fillet, HGT, block or minced
- Bone spec: boneless, few bones (PBI) or pin bones in
- Weight grade and freezing: IQF, interleaved or block; sea-frozen or land-frozen
- Glazing percentage and treatment (for example additive-free)
- Packing, labelling language and volume in containers or metric tons
- Incoterm (FOB, CFR or CIF), destination port and target shipment date
- Certifications or audits your market or customer requires
Argentine hake FAQ
What is Argentine hake?
Argentine hake (Merluccius hubbsi) is a demersal white fish of the Southwest Atlantic. It lives on the continental shelf from southern Brazil to about 55 degrees South, mainly at depths of 50 to 400 m, and is caught by bottom trawl. INIDEP describes it as the main fishery resource of Argentina.
What is the scientific name of Argentine hake?
Merluccius hubbsi. It is also sold as hubbsi hake, Argentinian hake or, in Spanish, merluza.
Where is Argentine hake caught?
In FAO Major Fishing Area 41 (Southwest Atlantic). Argentina's two main hake stocks are separated at latitude 41 degrees South. The northern stock is shared with Uruguay in the Argentine-Uruguayan Common Fishing Zone, and the southern stock lies entirely inside Argentina's Exclusive Economic Zone.
Which port is the main hub for Argentine hake?
Mar del Plata, in Buenos Aires province, is the main Argentine hake landing port and is supplied mainly by the offshore fleet. Hake is also landed in Patagonian ports such as Puerto Madryn, Puerto Deseado and Comodoro Rivadavia.
What presentations of Argentine hake are available for export?
Argentine processors list skinless and skin-on fillets (boneless or few bones, also called PBI), sold IQF or interleaved, HGT (headed, gutted and tailed) fish in blocks or interleaved, fish blocks for breading lines, and minced. Fillets are graded by weight, for example 40-60 g up to 180-220 g, or 50-200 g and 200-400 g.
How large does Argentine hake grow?
According to FAO, maximum total length is about 95 cm. Males are commonly up to 50 cm and females up to 60 cm, and fish over 60 cm are mainly females.
How is frozen Argentine hake stored?
Published processor specifications state storage at minus 18 degrees Celsius or colder, with a declared glazing percentage (one IQF fillet specification lists 5 to 10 percent) and a shelf life stated by each processor.
Tell us what you need. We find who can ship it.
Send species, presentation, grade, volume and destination port. We review the request and share it with Argentine processors that match your specification.
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