Effect of prey densities on cannibalism in Cape hake (Merluccius capensis) off Namibia

The preference of large (>60 cm total length) Cape hake (Merluccius capensis Castelnau, 1861) for small conspecifics under natural conditions was analyzed off southern Namibia (S.E. Atlantic) between 1983 and 1989. The results indicate that cannibalism is not related to the density of the small conspecifics nor to the density of alternative prey, but rather that large hake have a dietary preference for small conspecifics. The main consequence of such cannibalism is a lack of density-dependent regulation of the M. capensis population.