pelagic armourhead
Pentaceros richardsoni
Open-sea fish off the coast of the Southern Cone, with a bluish head and back, which appears only in commercial fishing.
Also called: peixe-capacete-pelágico, capacete-pelágico, pelagic armourhead
- maximum
- 56 cm
- depth
- 0–1,000 m
who is the pelagic armourhead
Fish of the family Pentacerotidae, spindle-shaped, reaching 56 cm. It lives in the open sea, in temperate southern waters, from the surface down to 1,000 m. Juveniles stay near the surface, and adults have been caught in trawl nets on the shelf and slope. It occurs in southern South America, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile, and also in the southeast Atlantic, South Africa and Tristan da Cunha, in the western Indian Ocean and the South Pacific. For anglers, it has commercial use.
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 pelagic armourhead.
fun facts
- Can live up to 60 years.
identification
Bluish head and back, with a pale underside, on a spindle-shaped body. The dorsal and anal fins have strong spines, characteristic of the family. Juveniles live near the surface and adults deeper, on the slope and shelf, where they are caught in trawl nets.
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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 in the open sea off southern South America: in Argentina, Uruguay and Chile.
Habitat: Open sea, with juveniles near the surface and adults on the slope and shelf.
rules for the pelagic armourhead
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, but it has strong spines in the dorsal and anal fins, so hold it carefully. If it comes from great depth, the pressure change can cause barotrauma. Release it quickly if alive.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01122, b = 3.04; 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: Pentaceros richardsoni (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Pentaceros richardsoniNames by country and language.