tollo
Diplomystes chilensis
Freshwater catfish endemic to Chile, reaching 23 cm. It is important as a food fish and appears in river sport fishing.
Also called: bagre-chileno, tollo-de-agua-dulce, tollo, bagre
- maximum
- 23 cm
who is the tollo
The tollo is a freshwater catfish of the family Diplomystidae, reaching 23 cm. It is endemic to Chile and lives on the bottom of rivers near Valparaíso and Santiago, in the central region of the country, in a subtropical environment. It is often cited in books and in the popular press as an important fish. It is a food fish and has commercial fishing. Like other Diplomystidae, it has no scales. It also appears in river sport fishing.
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 tollo; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- It is cited in books and in the popular press as an important fish.
identification
Elongated, bottom-dwelling catfish, without scales, of the family Diplomystidae, up to 23 cm. It can be confused with the bagre-de-Valdivia (Diplomystes camposensis), which lives in the same country and reaches 25 cm, and with the bagre-do-Bío-Bío (Diplomystes nahuelbutaensis), up to 26 cm. By size, this one is the smallest of the group, and by range it is further toward the center of Chile.
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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
Endemic to Chile, in rivers of the central part of the country, near Valparaíso and Santiago.
Habitat: Bottom of freshwater rivers in central Chile, near Valparaíso and Santiago, in a subtropical environment.
rules for the tollo
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.
No known danger to anglers. If you are not taking it home to eat, release it with a wet hand and avoid keeping the fish out of the water for long.
in the kitchen
It is an important food fish in Chile, with commercial fishing and local consumption.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00457, b = 3.12; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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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: Diplomystes chilensis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Diplomystes chilensisNames by country and language.
