La merluza del Pacífico
Ciencia y sabor en las costas mexicanas
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29105/bys9.18-273Keywords:
Deep fish, pacific hake, fisheries sustainability, marine gastronomy, comprehensive utilization, biological resources, Gulf of CaliforniaAbstract
Pacific hake (Merluccius productus) is a fishery resource with high ecological, economic, and nutritional impact on the Mexican coast. This fish inhabits demersal zones between 50 and 900 meters deep and plays a key role in marine food webs. After fishing and processing, hake is available in some markets in central Mexico and is exported to countries of America, Europe and Asia. Its lean meat, rich in high-quality protein, fatty acids (e.g., omega-3), and essential micronutrients, makes it a healthy food alternative. In Mexico, its consumption has expanded from traditional preparations to contemporary cuisine, contributing to food security and the country's culinary diversification. Simultaneously, the growing scientific and productive interest in this species has driven studies and management strategies aimed at its responsible use, leading to the recommendation of catch quotas for each fishing season. The integration of scientific knowledge with social participation and sustainable gastronomy can transform M. productus into a model of comprehensive and responsible use that links science, coastal economy and food culture in Mexico.
Downloads
References
Acosta-Lizárraga, L.G., M.E. Bergés-Tiznado, C. Bojórquez-Sánchez, C.C. Osuna-Martínez, F. Páez-Osuna. 2020. Bioaccumulation of mercury and selenium in tissues of the mesopelagic fish Pacific hake (Merluccius productus) from the northern Gulf of California and the risk assessment on human health. Chemosphere. 255: 126941. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126941
Álvarez-Trasviña, E., D.I. Arizmendi-Rodríguez, E. Marín-Enríquez, L.A. Salcido-Guevara, R. Sánchez-Cárdenas, G. Rodríguez-Domínguez. 2022. Distribution and abundance of the Pacific hake, “Merluccius productus”, and relationship with the environment in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Ciencias Marinas. 48 (1): 39-56. https://doi.org/ 10.7773/cm.y2022.3256
Arizmendi-Rodríguez, D.I., E. Álvarez-Trasviña, V.H. Cruz-Escalona, C. Enciso-Enciso, R. Rosas-Luis, M.S. Zúñiga-Flores. 2026. Merluccius productus: evidence of a specialized predator in the Gulf of California ecosystem. Marine Ecology. 0: e70072. https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.70072
Buckley, T.W., P.A. Livingston. 1997. Geographic variation in the diet of pacific hake, with a note on cannibalism. CalCOFI Reports. 38: 1997.
Caruso, G., R. Floris, C. Serangeli, L.Di. Paola. 2020. Fishery wastes as a yet undiscovered treasure from the sea: biomolecules sources, extraction methods and valorization. Marine Drugs. 18 (12): 622. https://doi.org/10.3390/md18120622
Denton-Castillo, J. 2018. Agregaciones y aspectos reproductivos de la merluza Merluccius productus (Ayres, 1855) en el centro y norte del Golfo de California. Tesis de Maestría, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Mazatlán, Sinaloa, México.
DOF. 2018. Ley general de pesca y acuacultura sustentables. Diario Oficial de la Federación (DOF). En: https://www.gob.mx/cms/uploads/attachment/file/334832/DOF_-_CNP_2017.pdf (consultado el 01/11/2025).
DOF. 2019. Proyecto de Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-020-SAG/PESC-2019, especificaciones para regular el aprovechamiento de merluza (Merluccius productus) en aguas de jurisdicción federal del litoral del Océano Pacífico y el Golfo de California. En: https://www.dof.gob.mx/normasOficiales/8023/sader11_C/sader11_C.html (consultado el 30/10/2025).
EDF. 2017. Resultados económicos de la temporada de merluza 2017. Environmental Defense Fund. En: https://mexico.edf.org/sites/default/files/reporte_merluza_2017_final.pdf (consultado el 25/02/2026).
FAO. 2022. Fishery and Aquaculture Statistics 2022. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. En: https://www.fao.org/fishery (consultado el 25/11/2025).
FAO. 2023. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2023: Towards Blue Transformation. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. En: https://www.fao.org (consultado el 05/12/2025).
Funes-Rodríguez, R., J.F. Elorduy-Garay, A. Hinojosa-Medina, A. Zárate-Villafranco. 2009. Interannual distribution of Pacific hake Merluccius productus larvae in the southern part of the California Current. Journal of Fish Biology. 75 (3): 630-646. https://doi.org/ 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2009.02327.x.
Garay-Valdez, L. M. 2023. Desarrollo gonadal de Merluccius productus (Gadiformes, Merlucciidae) del centro y alto Golfo de California. Tesis de Maestría, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Mazatlán, Sinaloa, México.
Holmlund, C.M., M. Hammer. 1999. Ecosystem services generated by fish populations. Ecological Economics. 29 (2): 253-268. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0921-8009(99)00015-4
Isangedighi, A.I., S.D. Gift. 2019. Heavy metals contamination in fish: effects on human health. Journal of Aquatic Science and Marine Biology. 2 (4): 7-12.
Lloris, D., J. Matallanas, P. Oliver. 2005. Hakes of the world (family Merlucciidae): an annotated and illustrated catalogue of hake species known to date. No. 2. FAO. Roma, Italia, 170 pp.
Morales-Zárate, M. V. (2024). Modelación del rol ecológico de la merluza (Merluccius productus) en el sistema demersal del golfo de California, México. Enviromental Defense Found, 38 pp.
Özden, Ö., N. Erkan. 2008. Comparison of biochemical composition of three aqua cultured fishes (Dicentrarchus labrax, Sparus aurata, Dentex dentex). International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 59 (7-8): 545-57. https://doi.org/10.1080/09637480701400729
Pacheco-Aguilar, R., M.A. Mazorra-Manzano, J.C. Ramírez-Suárez. (2008). Functional properties of fish protein hydrolysates from Pacific whiting (Merluccius productus) muscle produced by a commercial protease. Food Chemistry. 109(4): 782-789. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.01.047
Parra-Alaníz, M.A., M. Ramírez-Rodríguez. 2019. Fleet efficiency in the Pacific hake (Merluccius productus) fishery in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research. 50(1): 90-109. https://doi.org/10.3856/vol50-issue1-fulltext-2729
Pizzino, G., N. Irrera, M. Cucinotta, G. Pallio, F. Mannino, V. Arcoraci, F. Squadrito, D. Altavilla, A. Bitto. 2017. Oxidative stress: harms and benefits for human health. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. 2017: 8416763. https://doi.org/ 10.1155/2017/8416763
Roncarati, A., G. Brambilla, A. Meluzzi, A.L. Iamiceli, R. Fanelli, I. Moret, A. Ubaldi, R. Miniero, F. Sirri, P. Melotti, A. di Domenico. 2012. Fatty acid profile and proximate composition of fillets from Engraulis encrasicholus, Mullus barbatus, Merluccius merluccius and Sarda sarda caught in Tyrrhenian, Adriatic and Ionian seas. Journal of Applied Ichthyology. 28 (2012): 545-552. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0426.2012.01948.x
Selina Wamucii. 2026. Mexico hake prices. En: https://www.selinawamucii.com/insights/prices/mexico/hake/?utm_source=chatgpt.com#retail-prices (consultado el 28/02/2026).
Sotelo-González, M.I., D.I. Arizmendi-Rodríguez, R. Sánchez-Cárdenas, L.A. Salcido-Guevara, C.H. Sepulveda, E. Álvarez-Trasviña, A. Valdez-Pelayo. 2025. Importancia de la pesquería de la merluza del Pacífico (Merluccius productus) en México. Ciencia y Mar. 29 (87): 79-87. https://doi.org/10.59673/cym.v29i87.72
Tocher, D. R. (2015). Omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and aquaculture in perspective. Aquaculture. 449: 94-107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2015.01.010
Valls, A., M. Coll, V. Christensen. 2015. Keystone species: toward an operational concept for marine biodiversity conservation. Ecological Monographs. 85 (1): 29-47. https://doi.org/10.1890/14-0306.1
Wilhelm, M.R., A. Jarre, C.L. Moloney. 2015. Spawning and nursery areas, longitudinal and cross-shelf migrations of the Merluccius capensis stock in the northern Benguela. Fisheries Oceanography. 24 (S1): 31-45.
Zamora-García, Ó.G., A. Stavrinaky-Suárez. 2018. Environmental Defense Fund de México A.C.

