beaked salmon
Gonorynchus gonorynchus
Elongated fish of sandy bottoms in Chile, which stays buried in the sand during the day. It is sold fresh.
Also called: salmão-de-bico, caduchón, beaked salmon
- maximum
- 60 cm
- depth
- 0–200 m
who is the beaked salmon
The beaked sandfish belongs to the family Gonorynchidae and reaches 60 cm. In Latin America, it lives in Chile, in the southeastern Pacific, over sandy bottoms from the beach down to 200 m; the species also occurs in southern Africa, Japan, southern Australia and New Zealand. It is a nocturnal fish that stays buried in sand or mud during the day and feeds on bottom invertebrates. Juveniles, which are pelagic, are preyed on by seabirds and sometimes wash up on beaches in rough weather. It is sold fresh and has commercial use.
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 beaked salmon.
fun facts
- Juveniles are eaten by seabirds and sometimes wash up on beaches in rough weather.
identification
Elongated, spindle-shaped body. The inside of the mouth and the gills are purplish, and the lower lip has long, forked papillae, the clearest sign for identifying it. Adults live buried in sand or mud during the day, and juveniles are pelagic and sometimes wash up on beaches in rough weather.
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
In Latin America, it occurs in Chile, in the southeastern Pacific. The species also lives in southern Africa, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Habitat: Sandy bottoms from the beach down to 200 m, where it stays buried during the day.
when to fish
best time of day
Nighttime. It is nocturnal and, by day, stays buried in sand or mud.
rules for the beaked salmon
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.
No danger to anglers. If it comes from deeper water, it can suffer barotrauma: release it carefully.
in the kitchen
Sold fresh in markets.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00339, b = 3.14; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). 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: Gonorynchus gonorynchus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Gonorynchus gonorynchusNames by country and language.