southern barracudina
Magnisudis prionosa
Fine open-ocean fish of deep, cold southern waters that feeds on other fish and is almost never caught on a rod.
Also called: peixe-agulha-austral, barracudina austral, southern barracudina
- maximum
- 55 cm
- depth
- 300–800 m
who is the southern barracudina
Slender, elongated fish of the family Paralepididae, reaching 55 cm. It lives in deep southern waters, usually 300 to 800 m, and can reach 1,000 m. Juveniles stay near the surface, down to 200 m, while adults live deeper. It mainly eats fish. The body is pale, with a brown band along the back. It is found around the southern hemisphere, from the Southern Ocean to near Antarctica. For anglers, it is of interest only to commercial 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 southern barracudina.
fun facts
- It can reach 1,000 m deep, but most adults live between 300 and 800 m.
identification
Slender, elongated, pale body with a dark brown band along the back, reaching 55 cm. It is a deep-water fish, unlike surface needlefish, and has no other color marks. Juveniles live near the surface, down to 200 m, and adults much deeper, between 300 and 800 m.
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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
Lives around the southern hemisphere, in the Southern Ocean, near Argentina and Uruguay.
Habitat: Deep waters, 300 to 800 m, with juveniles near the surface.
rules for the southern barracudina
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.
Not dangerous. It lives at great depth: if brought up from there, the pressure change can cause barotrauma. Hold it by the body with wet hands and release it quickly.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00186, b = 3.13; 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: Magnisudis prionosa (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Magnisudis prionosaNames by country and language.