günther's boafish
Stomias affinis
Elongated fish of the open deep sea, with small photophores on the body, that is almost never caught on the line.
Also called: peixe-dragão-escamoso, scaly dragonfish, Günther's boafish
- maximum
- 22 cm
- depth
- 0–3,182 m
who is the günther's boafish
Fish of the family Stomiidae, elongated and slender, reaching 21.9 cm. It lives in the open sea and at great depth, down to 3,182 m. It feeds mainly on myctophids, the lanternfish, and has small photophores, light-emitting organs, spread over its body. Some individuals may rise to the surface at night. It occurs in tropical and subtropical waters of several oceans; in the western Atlantic it ranges from the United States to Argentina, including Brazil. It appears in commercial fisheries but is almost never hooked on a rod.
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 günther's boafish.
identification
Slender, elongated body with small photophores (light-emitting organs) spread over it. At the tip of the lower jaw there are small teeth on both sides. As in other deep-sea dragonfish, the body tends to be dark. Anglers recognize it by the photophores and the small teeth at the tip of the chin, not by spots or stripes.
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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
In Latin America it occurs in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Cuba, Mexico and the Caribbean, in the open sea.
Habitat: Open, deep sea, from 0 to 3,182 m deep.
coast
rules for the günther's boafish
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: Not on the Brazilian national list (Ministerial Ordinance GM/MMA No. 1.667/2026).
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.
No danger to anglers. Because it lives at great depth, it rarely reaches the line of anglers.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00132, b = 3.2; 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: Stomias affinis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Stomias affinisNames by country and language.
- official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026: Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.