magellanic rockcod
Paranotothenia magellanica
A cold-water fish of the far south of South America, caught more by commercial fishing than by sport anglers.
Also called: nototênia-magalhânica, trama común, magellanic rockcod
- maximum
- 43 cm
- record/max.
- 1.5 kg
- depth
- 0–20 m
who is the magellanic rockcod
A fish of the family Nototheniidae, with a spindle-shaped body and a short, flattened snout, typical of the cold waters of the southern tip of the continent. It reaches 43 cm and up to 1.5 kg. It usually lives 0 to 20 m deep, but can be found down to 255 m. It also occurs around islands of the Southern Ocean, such as the Falklands, South Georgia, the South Orkneys and the South Shetlands, and in southern New Zealand. It has an olive gray back and a yellowish belly. It is used as food and enters commercial fishing; it almost never shows up on the sport angler's line.
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 magellanic rockcod; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Olive gray back and yellowish belly. Short, flat snout, head with well-marked bones and a short jaw whose tip does not reach the eye. The caudal peduncle is longer than it is deep, and the pelvic fins are much shorter than the pectorals. In the same region lives the yellow notothenia, which has yellow fins and reaches 25 cm, much smaller than this one.
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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
It lives in the cold waters of the far south of South America, in Argentina and Chile, and around islands of the Southern Ocean.
Habitat: Cold waters, usually 0 to 20 m deep, and down to 255 m.
rules for the magellanic rockcod
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.
It is not dangerous. Hold it by the body, with wet hands, and release it quickly.
in the kitchen
A food fish, mainly caught by commercial fishing.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00676, b = 3.24; 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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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: Paranotothenia magellanica (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Paranotothenia magellanicaNames by country and language.
