Polyprion americanus
Large slope fish, with a big head and a bony crest on the gill cover, living in caves and wrecks between 100 and 600 m. It is Critically Endangered in Brazil: capture and possession prohibited; if you hook one, release it.
Also called: cherne-poveiro, cherne, wreckfish
The cherne-poveiro is a large demersal fish with a wide distribution in temperate and subtropical regions around the world. It lives among rocks, caves and wrecks on the slope and outer shelf, usually between 100 and 200 m, and can reach 600 m. In Brazil it is fished south of Cabo Frio, with the greatest abundance at the southern end. Juveniles spend years near the surface, alongside floating objects, before descending to the bottom. Females only mature at about 78 cm and 10 years, spawning runs from July to October on the slope, and the species lives past 60 years. This long, slow life, combined with targeted longline fishing since the 1970s, brought catches down, and the 2026 national list classifies it as Critically Endangered.
Tall, laterally compressed fish with a large head, a big mouth and a rough bony ridge running across the top of the gill cover. Blue-gray back, lighter sides with a silvery sheen, and dark brown, almost black fins. Juveniles have black spots on the head and body. The dorsal fin has 10 to 12 spines and the anal fin has 3. It can be confused with groupers and sea basses from the same habitat, such as the snowy grouper: the ridge on the gill cover is the clue. When in doubt, release it.
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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.
In the eastern Atlantic it ranges from Norway to South Africa; in the western Atlantic, from Newfoundland to North Carolina and from Uruguay to Argentina; it also occurs in the Indian Ocean and New Zealand. In Latin America it lives on the slope off Brazil, from south of Cabo Frio (RJ) to Rio Grande do Sul, most abundant at the far south, and also in Uruguay and Argentina.
Habitat: Steep rocky reefs on the upper slope, caves and shipwrecks, usually at 100 to 200 m and down to 600 m or more; juveniles stay near floating objects.
coast
states
Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul
Spawning runs from July to October on the continental slope. In historical commercial fishing, the largest catches came from the far south in summer and autumn, and from 30 °S to 28 °S in winter and spring.
Any time. At 100 m or deeper sunlight barely reaches, and the sources do not indicate a peak time. It is generally a solitary fish that stays in caves and wrecks.
On the slope the water is cold and stable; surface weather changes little affect activity.
Little documented effect; what matters is rough seas after a cold front.
Little effect in deep water.
No direct effect on the bottom.
Not applicable at sea.
Not very sensitive to boat noise, since the boat sits 100 m or more above.
Strong wind pulls the boat off the spot and leaves the line at an angle in deep water.
Strong current calls for very heavy sinkers and makes it hard to feel the bottom.
Usually 100 to 200 m; the largest specimens occupy the deepest bands.
accessories
Protected species, not to be targeted. If you hook one while bottom fishing, release it immediately with a descending device, without taking the fish out of the water.
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: On the national list of threatened species as CR. IUCN global assessment: DD.
The national list (Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026) classifies the species as CR. Under Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.666/2026 (art. 3), VU, EN and CR species have full protection: catch, transport, storage, processing and trade are banned. If you hook one by accident, release it right away, with minimal handling.
Source: Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.666/2026, art. 3º, and Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026
Instrução Normativa MMA 37/2005 (normative instruction of the MMA), of October 6, 2005, banned the capture and sale of the wreckfish in Brazilian jurisdictional waters for 10 years, subject to review. We found no specific extension. Today protection comes from the national list (CR) and from Portaria GM/MMA 1.666/2026, and capture remains prohibited.
Protected species: release it right away. If it comes from 100 m or deeper, it suffers from decompression: use a descending device or a release tool, avoid taking the fish out of the water, and never use a gaff on its body.
FishBase records fresh or frozen sales in other countries. In Brazil the high value of the wreckfish drove longline fishing and opened export markets; today capture, possession and sale are all prohibited.
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01318, b = 3.0; 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
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The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on field experience from anglers and guides. They are not official data or measurements made for this species and may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the rule and link. The fishing depth range, the common size and the ideal water temperature range, when FishBase does not give a value, are editorial estimates based on the species' biology.
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