They have a steel grey back which is tinged with blue, paler on sides, and a silvery white belly with dark fins.

The adults are probably migratory, moving south to feed during the Austral summer and returning north in the winter to spawn.

The adults are predatory, feeding on southern blue whiting, whiptails, nototheniids and squid.

[3] A new species of hake which was said to be largely sympatric with M. australis but which was also said to be found off Japan was described in 2006, Merluccius tasmanicus, but this taxon is not universally accepted a valid and it may be a synonym of M.

The population off the west coast of South Island has been estimated to have an unfished biomass of 88,900 tonnes and this fishery consistently produces the greatest annual landings.

The third stock, in the area of the Chatham Rise is the smallest and has an unfished biomass of 37,000 tonnes has suffered the heaviest exploitation and is currently considered to be in a rebuilding phase.