patagonian toothfish
Dissostichus eleginoides
Fish of cold, deep waters of southern South America, heavily exploited by commercial fishing. It is not a target of recreational fishing.
Also called: bacalhau-da-Patagônia, merluza negra, bacalao, patagonian toothfish
- maximum
- 215 cm
- record/max.
- 9.6 kg
- depth
- 70–1,500 m
who is the patagonian toothfish
Fish of the family Nototheniidae, large, reaching 215 cm. Juveniles, 12 to 15 cm, live in midwater and later live close to the bottom, between 150 and 400 m. Adults are usually found between 70 and 1,500 m and migrate to depths greater than 1,000 m. It occurs in the South Atlantic and South Pacific, from southern Chile to Patagonian Argentina and the Falkland Islands, and also at South Georgia, Macquarie Island and on seamounts and subantarctic islands. It is a food fish with commercial use.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the patagonian toothfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Large fish, with an elongated, fusiform body. It has two lateral lines, one on the upper part of the body and another lower down, a trait of the family. To avoid confusing it with other bottom fish of Patagonia, such as Ramsay's notothen (Patagonotothen ramsayi), remember that it is much larger: it reaches 215 cm, while that one reaches 44 cm.
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
In Latin America it occurs from southern Chile to Patagonian Argentina and the Falkland Islands, with records in Uruguay, in cold waters.
Habitat: Shelf and slope bottoms, between 70 and 1,500 m, with juveniles on the bottom between 150 and 400 m.
rules for the patagonian toothfish
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Large fish that lives on deep bottoms, so bringing it up usually causes barotrauma. If released, do it carefully.
in the kitchen
It is a food fish, used as food by commercial fishing.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00631, b = 3.15; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
—
sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Dissostichus eleginoides (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Dissostichus eleginoidesNames by country and language.
