Distribution and abundance of the Pacific hake, Merluccius productus, and relationship with the environment in the Gulf of California, Mexico

Climate and oceanic conditions determine the Pacific hake (Merluccius productus) distribution pattern. The present work aimed to identify the spatiotemporal relationship between the distribution and abundance of Pacific hake and the environment in the Gulf of California. Information obtained from 6 research cruises carried out between 2014 and 2019 was analyzed. The results showed that the Gulf of California hake reaches a total length of 105 cm, exhibiting sexual dimorphism at total lengths >73 cm. The highest resource biomass (68,260.37 t) was found in February 2019 at depths between 200 and 300 m and the lowest was found in October 2016 (6,917.80 t) at depths between 100 and 150 m. These centers of abundance were located at bottom temperatures between 13 and 14 degrees C, north of Angel de la Guarda Island and between the great islands (Tiburon Island and Angel de la Guarda Island). After adjusting generalized additive models between seasonal hake catches and different environmental, spatial, and temporal variables, bottom temperature was found to be the variable that best described these centers of abundance.