hapuku wreckfish
Polyprion oxygeneios
Grouper of cold, deep waters of the southern hemisphere, heavily overfished. It comes from deep bottoms, so it suffers barotrauma and needs care when released.
Also called: cherne-hapuku, bacalao, cherna hapuku, hapuku wreckfish
- maximum
- 160 cm
- record/max.
- 100.0 kg
- depth
- 50–854 m
who is the hapuku wreckfish
Fish of the family Polyprionidae, with a robust body and a large head, reaching 160 cm and 100 kg. It lives in cold waters of the southern hemisphere, from 50 to 854 m, over uneven bottoms, from the central shelf to the edge and top of the slope, and also on seamounts. In Latin America, it occurs in Chile, including the Juan Fernández and Desventuradas islands. Juveniles stay in surface waters, perhaps in schools near drifting seaweed. Adults eat schooling fish, such as sardines, and bottom fish. It is caught with bottom longlines down to 400 m, sometimes enters trawl nets, and is heavily overfished.
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 hapuku wreckfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- The maximum recorded age is 60 years.
- It is prey of sperm whales.
identification
Fish with a robust, spindle-shaped body and a large head, like the other members of the family Polyprionidae. It lives close to the bottom, on uneven terrain, from the shelf to the top of the slope, while juveniles swim near the surface, alongside drifting seaweed. It belongs to the same genus as the wreckfish (Polyprion americanus), with which it can be confused.
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
Species of cold waters of the southern hemisphere. In Latin America, it occurs in Chile, including the Juan Fernández and Desventuradas islands.
Habitat: Uneven bottom from the central shelf to the top of the slope, from 50 to 854 m, and seamounts; juveniles near the surface.
rules for the hapuku wreckfish
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.
Harmless to people. If it comes from deep bottom, the fish suffers barotrauma, with its swim bladder swollen, and cannot return on its own: if possible, return it to the bottom with a descending device.
in the kitchen
Sold fresh and frozen, and can be steamed, fried, grilled or baked.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01072, b = 2.99; 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: Polyprion oxygeneios (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Polyprion oxygeneiosNames by country and language.
