plownose chimaera
Callorhinchus callorynchus
Bottom cartilaginous fish, from the southeastern and southern coast of Brazil and the South Pacific coast. It appears in commercial fishing.
Also called: peixe-elefante, pejegallo, pez elefante, pez gallo, plownose chimaera, elephant fish
- maximum
- 89 cm
- depth
- 10–116 m
who is the plownose chimaera
The elephant fish is a chimaera of the family Callorhinchidae, an elongated cartilaginous fish that reaches 89.2 cm. The usual size is 70 cm. It lives near sandy or muddy bottoms, between 10 and 116 m deep, from Peru to Chile in the Pacific, and from the southeastern and southern coast of Brazil to Argentina and Uruguay in the Atlantic. It is oviparous. It appears in commercial fishing. Its snout has a fleshy plow-shaped appendage, resembling a trunk.
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 plownose chimaera.
identification
Elongated cartilaginous fish body, with very large pectoral fins and a spine in front of the dorsal fin. The snout with a plow-shaped appendage is the most distinctive trait. It lives in subtropical waters, from Peru to Argentina, on sandy and muddy bottoms of the coast and shelf.
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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
Southeastern Pacific, from Peru to Chile, and southwestern Atlantic, from the southeastern and southern coast of Brazil to Argentina and Uruguay.
Habitat: Sandy or muddy bottom of the coast and shelf, between 10 and 116 meters deep.
coast
rules for the plownose chimaera
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.
It is not dangerous, but the spine on the dorsal fin can injure: hold it by the body, with care, and release it with minimal handling.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00457, b = 3.13; 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: Callorhinchus callorynchus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Callorhinchus callorynchusNames 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.