bagre-do-bío-bío
Diplomystes nahuelbutaensis
Freshwater catfish endemic to Chile, from the Bío-Bío basin, reaching 26 cm. It appears in river sport fishing and is endangered, so it is best to release it.
Also called: bagre-do-bío-bío, tollo, bagre
- maximum
- 26 cm
who is the bagre-do-bío-bío
The bagre-do-Bío-Bío is a freshwater catfish of the family Diplomystidae, reaching 26 cm. It is the largest of Chile's three Diplomystes. It lives on the bottom of rivers in the center-south of the country, in the Bío-Bío basin and the Loncomilla River, in a subtropical environment. It is endemic to Chile. It has commercial fishing and appears in river sport fishing. The species is endangered, and the best option is to recognize the fish and release it.
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 bagre-do-bío-bío; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- It is endemic to Chile, meaning it does not occur outside the country.
identification
Elongated, bottom-dwelling catfish of the family Diplomystidae, without scales, reaching 26 cm. It can be confused with the bagre-de-Valdivia (Diplomystes camposensis) and the tollo (Diplomystes chilensis), which live in the same country. By size, this one is the largest of the three, and by range it is from the center-south, in the Bío-Bío and Loncomilla basins.
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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 the Bío-Bío and Loncomilla river basins, in fresh water.
Habitat: Bottom of freshwater rivers in center-south Chile, in the Bío-Bío and Loncomilla basins.
rules for the bagre-do-bío-bío
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. As it is endangered, release it quickly, with a wet hand, and avoid keeping the fish out of the water.
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 nahuelbutaensis (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 nahuelbutaensisNames by country and language.
