Southern blue whiting (Micromesistius australis)

Scientific name: Micromesistius australis Norman, 1937

Southern blue whiting (Micromesistius australis)

The Southern blue whiting (Micromesistius australis) is a marine fish of the family Gadidae.

Biology

Invades shelf waters during summer and concentrating over the continental slope in winter. Forms schools. The young feed on euphausiids and amphipods and occasionally on copepods, cephalopods and small fish. Utilized in frozen blocks and as fishmeal. In Japan used as suerii (minced meat) for karaoke (fish cake). Can be fried, microwaved and baked.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Micromesistius australis
Family
Gadidae (Cods and haddocks)
Order
Gadiformes (Cods)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
90.0
Common length
60.0
Depth range
50–900 m (164–2953 ft)
Environment
Marine; benthopelagic; oceanodromous; depth range 50 - 900 m, usually 200 - 400 m
Climate
Temperate
Distribution
There are 2 disjunct populations. Micromesistius australis australis occurs around the Falkland Islands and Argentine Patagonia in the southwest Atlantic; off Chile in the southeast Pacific; also off South Georgia, South Shetland and South Orkney islands. Micromesistius australis pallidus occurs around the South Island of New Zealand.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: highly commercial
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.18; tm=2-5; tmax=30)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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