silver scabbardfish
Lepidopus caudatus
Silvery, very elongated fish that forms schools on the shelf edge and the slope, with heavy commercial fishing.
Also called: peixe-espada-prateado, sable, cinta, silver scabbardfish
- maximum
- 210 cm
- record/max.
- 8.0 kg
- depth
- 100–300 m
who is the silver scabbardfish
Fish of the family Trichiuridae, very elongated and compressed, reaching 210 cm and weighing up to 8 kg. It lives on the shelf edge and the slope, from 100 to 300 m, and forms schools that rise into midwater at night. It feeds on crustaceans, squid and small fish. Its eggs and larvae are pelagic, meaning they live in the water column. In Latin America it occurs in Peru and Uruguay. It has intense commercial fishing and is also considered a sport fish.
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 silver scabbardfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Very elongated, compressed body like a ribbon, uniformly silvery, with no stripes or spots. The pelvic fin is very small. Evoxymetopon taeniatum is similar, but has longitudinal yellow stripes on the body, which separate it from this species. Both are open-sea fish of the slope and shelf edge, so they are easier to tell apart by color than by location.
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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 Peru and Uruguay, in waters along the shelf edge and the slope.
Habitat: Shelf edge and slope, on sand and mud bottoms, 100 to 300 m.
rules for the silver scabbardfish
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 to anglers, and mostly taken in commercial fishing.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00041, b = 3.11; 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: Lepidopus caudatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Lepidopus caudatusNames by country and language.
