catalog Eleginopidae · omnivore

patagonian blennie

Eleginops maclovinus

SeaEstuaryFreshwater

The robalo of southern Chile and Argentine Patagonia, which enters estuaries and tidal rivers. It is born male and turns female as it grows, and is fished from the shore with natural bait, spoons and fly.

Also called: róbalo-patagônico, róbalo, babosa-da-patagônia, Patagonian blennie

forecast for patagonian blennie where found

Scientific illustration of Patagonian blennie

common size: 30–55 cm
maximum: 90 cm
common weight: 0.3–2 kg
record/max.: 8.0 kg
depth: 0–30 m
ideal water: 8–15 °C

overview

who is the patagonian blennie

Despite the name, it is not related to the snooks of Brazil: it belongs to a family with a single species, related to Antarctic fishes. It lives along the Chilean coast, from Valparaíso to Cape Horn, and on the Atlantic coast, from the Río de la Plata to Tierra del Fuego and the Falklands. It lives in shallow waters, beaches, estuaries and tidal rivers, goes up freshwater stretches and may go more than 200 m. Juveniles eat small crustaceans; large ones also eat algae, as well as fish and invertebrates. It is a hermaphrodite: born male, and many turn female between 30 and 40 cm. It reaches about 85 to 90 cm and lives over 10 years. It is one of the most fished species from the shore in the estuaries of southern Chile and the Patagonian coast.

fun facts

It is a protandrous hermaphrodite: born male, and many individuals turn female after 30 cm.
It is the only species in its family and a close relative of the Antarctic notothenioids, such as the icefishes.

how to recognize it

identification

Elongated, almost cylindrical body, terminal and protractile mouth. Two dorsal fins, the first short and the second long; pelvic fins in front of the pectorals. Blue-gray to brown back, with dark vertical bands that fade toward the yellowish silver belly; fins with yellowish tips. It does not look like the Brazilian snooks (Centropomus), which have a black lateral line and a large mouth.

how patagonian blennie fishing looks

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.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

Not found in Brazil. Pacific coast of Chile, from Valparaíso to Cape Horn, and Atlantic coast of Uruguay (Río de la Plata) and Argentina to Tierra del Fuego, including the Falklands.

Habitat: Beaches, rocky shores, estuaries, channels and tidal rivers; goes up freshwater stretches and prefers sand, gravel and algae bottoms.

calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of yearbest: Nov–Mar

JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Fishable all year, with the best period from spring to austral autumn, October to April, when the water warms and the fish enter the estuaries more.

best time of day

Daytime, with peaks at dawn and dusk. Feeds by day and at dusk, following the tide; in estuaries it enters with the rising tide.

weather, water and behavior

what affects the patagonian blennie
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.

cold and cold fronts

In winter it becomes slower and deeper.

atmospheric pressure

Fronts with strong wind hinder shore fishing.

moon

Full-moon and new-moon tides bring more water into the estuaries.

rain

Full and muddy river scatters the fish; clearing water afterward is good.

water level

In tidal rivers, the level follows the tide; on the rising tide the robalo goes up the river.

noise

Moderately sensitive in shallow water.

wind

Patagonia's strong wind is the biggest limit on casting.

tide

The rising tide at river mouths and estuaries is the best phase.

depth

From 0.5 to 5 m in estuaries and beaches.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

Natural bait on the bottom Mid-water casting Fly fishing Beach fishing Caniço (cane pole)

rod: 7' to 9', medium action, 6 to 15 lb
spinning / baitcasting reel: spinning reel 2500 to 3000
line: monofilament 8 to 14 lb or braided line 10 to 20 lb
leader: fluorocarbon 12 to 20 lb
hook: No. 1 to 2/0

lures

spoon 7 to 15 g
spinner No. 2 to 4
streamers and nymphs on the fly

natural baits

sea worm (polychaete)
shrimp and small crabs
mussel

accessories

light sinker
alicate
waders in the estuary

tip from an angler

Wait for the tide to start rising at the river mouth and fish near the bottom: the robalo enters with the salt water.

what the law says

rules for the patagonian blennie

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: Old Chilean classifications (1998) listed it as vulnerable from Valparaíso to Biobío. Under Chile's Law 20.256, native species that are vulnerable or more threatened may not be fished recreationally.

Argentina (continental Patagonia): release in national parks

mandatory release in national parks; general rules in provincial waters

The Patagonian continental fishing regulation lists the robalo as a native species of sport value in provincial waters. In national parks, every native fish, including the robalo, must be released. In rivers and streams the general rule to release all fish applies, and in lakes the kill is limited to 1 fish per day, from Dec 1 to Mar 31 (2025/2026 season). Fishing for robalo at sea and in estuaries follows each province's rules, which we did not check.

Source: Resolución APN nº 417/2025 (Boletín Oficial, Dec 9, 2025), Annex I, items 9º, 10º, 17º and 18º

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.

Hardy fish: remove the hook with pliers, wet your hands and release quickly. Respect the mandatory release in Argentina's national parks.

in the kitchen

White, tasty flesh, valued in southern Chile and Patagonia, fried or roasted.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

total length (cm)

Length-weight relationship W = a·L^b (a = 0.00977, b = 3.06; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana para a família e o formato do corpo); peso máximo calculado por esta relação para 85 cm, porque não há peso máximo publicado). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.

estimated weight

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sources and references

The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.

scientific FishBase — Eleginops maclovinus (ficha da espécie)Names, distribution, biology, length-weight relationship, list of countries and references. Page checked 13/10/2026. The country list includes Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and the Falklands. No maximum weight is published.
official Ministério do Meio Ambiente do Chile — Ficha de classificação de Eleginops maclovinus (10º processo do Reglamento de Clasificación de Especies)Proposal for Least Concern (LC) from the Classification Committee (minutes of 09/10/2013); distribution, maximum size of 850 mm and diet.
scientific Licandeo, R.; Barrientos, C.; González, M. T. (2006). Age, growth rates, sex change and feeding habits of notothenioid fish Eleginops maclovinus from the central-southern Chilean coast. Environmental Biology of Fishes 77: 51-61.DOI checked in Crossref.
scientific Flores, A.; Wiff, R.; Brown, D. (2025). Size at sex change in the protandric hermaphrodite Patagonian blenny Eleginops maclovinus. Journal of Fish Biology 108: 118-127.DOI checked in Crossref.
scientific Ceballos, S. G. et al. (2016). Genetic relationships between Atlantic and Pacific populations of the notothenioid fish Eleginops maclovinus: the footprints of Quaternary glaciations in Patagonia. Heredity 116: 372-377.DOI checked in Crossref.
official Argentina — Resolución APN nº 417/2025 (Administración de Parques Nacionales): aprova o Reglamento General de Pesca Deportiva Continental Patagónico, temporada 2025/2026Published in the Official Gazette on Dec 9, 2025. Annex I (general regulation) checked: items 8 to 11 (species), 13 (baits) and 17 and 18 (release and daily limit).