Fishing catch. Catch of hake fish, Merluccius merluccius, lying in a plastic crate. M. merluccius is found in the northeastern Atlantic along the continental shelf off the coast of Europe. Hakes are predators, feeding on other fish. M. merluccius feeds in the upper waters at night. During the day it is less active and lives near the floor, where it can be easily caught by fishing nets.