rudderfish
Centrolophus niger
Dark open-sea fish of the South Atlantic, living between 300 and 700 m, with sport-fishing interest.
Also called: peixe-leme, romerillo, rudderfish
- maximum
- 150 cm
- depth
- 300–700 m
who is the rudderfish
The rudderfish belongs to the family Centrolophidae and can reach 150 cm. It is an open-sea, deep-bottom fish, usually living between 300 and 700 m. As a juvenile it stays near the surface, close to jellyfish and salps, and adults live deeper. It eats whatever is available, such as small fish, squid, large pelagic crustaceans and plankton. It occurs in Argentina and Uruguay, and has sport-fishing interest and fishing potential.
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 rudderfish.
fun facts
- Adults may form small schools.
identification
Spindle-shaped, dark body, from dark brown to almost black, sometimes with a bluish tone. The median and pelvic fins are darker than the body. Juveniles have two to four vertical bands, and the snout is slightly longer than the eye diameter. The main trait is the dark color and the habit of living in the open sea.
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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 Argentina and Uruguay, in the open sea, usually from 300 to 700 m.
Habitat: Open sea, deep bottoms, usually 300 to 700 m.
rules for the rudderfish
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. Since it comes from deep water, it suffers barotrauma when brought up. Release it carefully.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00661, b = 3.09; 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: Centrolophus niger (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Centrolophus nigerNames by country and language.