orange roughy
Hoplostethus atlanticus
Deep-sea fish, brick red, reaching 75 cm and up to 7 kg. It is exploited by commercial fishing in waters of 400 to 900 m.
Also called: peixe-laranja-áspero, reloj anaranjado, orange roughy
- maximum
- 75 cm
- record/max.
- 7.0 kg
- depth
- 400–900 m
who is the orange roughy
The family Trachichthyidae includes deep-sea fish with deep bodies. This species reaches 75 cm and 7 kg, and is found in several oceans, including the eastern Pacific, off Chile. It lives in cold, deep waters, on continental slopes, oceanic ridges and seamounts, generally from 400 to 900 m. It feeds on crustaceans and fish. It grows very slowly and is one of the longest-lived fish species known. Commercial fishing targets it at spawning aggregations and outside spawning, and the flesh is sold fresh and frozen.
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 orange roughy.
fun facts
- It can live up to 149 years, one of the longest-lived fish known.
identification
Deep, bright brick-red body, with the mouth and gill cavity dark blue, almost black. It has bony plates along the belly. It lives in cold, deep waters, on slopes and seamounts. Its brick-red color, together with the dark blue mouth, separates it from other deep-sea fish of Chile.
Loading the next 7 days…
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
Widely distributed species, in the Atlantic, the southern Indian Ocean, New Zealand and the eastern Pacific. In Latin America it is recorded from Chile, in deep sea, generally from 400 to 900 m.
Habitat: Continental slopes, oceanic ridges and seamounts, generally from 400 to 900 m.
rules for the orange roughy
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.
Harmless to anglers. Because it lives in deep water, rapid ascent can cause barotrauma: if the catch comes from great depth, return it carefully.
in the kitchen
Sold fresh and frozen, it is prepared steamed, fried, in the microwave or baked.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.02239, b = 3.08; 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: Hoplostethus atlanticus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Hoplostethus atlanticusNames by country and language.