longtail southern cod
Patagonotothen ramsayi
A notothenia restricted to the Patagonian shelf, in the southwestern Atlantic, in waters of Argentina, Uruguay and Chile. Exploited by commercial fishing and of no sport interest.
Also called: nototênia-de-Ramsay, nototenia, nototenia coluda, longtail southern cod
- maximum
- 44 cm
- depth
- 50–500 m
who is the longtail southern cod
A fish of the family Nototheniidae, with a spindle-shaped body and a rounded tail, which lives near the bottom of the Patagonian shelf, between 50 and 500 m. It reaches 44 cm, much less than the Patagonian toothfish of the same area. It feeds mainly on gelatinous plankton and plankton crustaceans, near the bottom. Its range is limited to the Patagonian shelf, in the southwestern Atlantic, in waters of Argentina, Uruguay and Chile. It is exploited by commercial fishing and is of little importance for 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 longtail southern cod; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
A spindle-shaped fish of normal shape, with a rounded caudal fin and a long dorsal fin. It lives only on the Patagonian shelf, so the habitat helps identify it. The merluza negra (Patagonian toothfish, Dissostichus eleginoides), from the same region, reaches 215 cm, much bigger. In practice, the size of up to 44 cm and the depth band of 50 to 500 m are the surest clues.
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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
Restricted to the Patagonian shelf, in the southwestern Atlantic, in waters of Argentina, Uruguay and Chile.
Habitat: Patagonian shelf, 50 to 500 m deep, near the bottom.
rules for the longtail southern cod
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.
The spines are not dangerous. It lives in deep bottoms, so ascent causes barotrauma; if it is released, do it carefully.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00589, b = 3.22; 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: Patagonotothen ramsayi (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Patagonotothen ramsayiNames by country and language.
