Early life history and spawning of Merluccius capensis castelnau in the northern Benguela Current

Abstract

The eggs and the larval development of hake Merluccius capensis from the Benguela Current are described. The abundance and distribution of hake eggs and larvae found during several surveys made to northern Namibia between 1979 and 1981 at different times of the year are also given. Hydrographic relationships are discussed. Temperature and dissolved oxygen were found to be the parameters most significantly influencing the distribution of hake eggs and larvae. It is apparent from the literature that hake tend to have fixed spawning areas and seasons and that they have fairly well defined migratory habits at spawning time