1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Hake

HAKE (Merluccius vulgaris), a fish which differs from the cod in having only two dorsal fins, and one anal. It is very common on the coasts of Europe and eastern North America, but its flesh is much less esteemed than that of the true Gadi. Specimens 4 ft. in length are not scarce. There are local variations in the use of “hake” as a name; in America the “silver hake” (Merluccius bilinearis), sometimes called “whiting,” and “Pacific hake” (Merluccius productus) are also food-fishes of inferior quality.