velha-negra
Graus nigra
Coastal fish of the Pacific of Peru and Chile, much sought after by line and spear fishers.
Also called: velha-negra, vieja negra, mulata, vieja
- maximum
- 65 cm
- depth
- 0–25 m
who is the velha-negra
The vieja negra belongs to the family Girellidae and reaches 64.6 cm. It lives in shallow coastal waters of the southeastern Pacific, near the bottom, from southern Peru to Valdivia, Chile, from 0 to 25 m deep. It is commercially fished and very popular with line and spear fishers, so it matters for sport fishing along the coast of Peru and Chile. It has both commercial and sport interest in Peru and Chile.
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 velha-negra.
identification
Spindle-shaped body, typical of the family Girellidae. The scientific name (nigra) and the Spanish name (vieja negra) point to a dark color, but no distinctive mark is on record, so recognition relies on habitat: shallow waters near the bottom, from southern Peru to Chile, where it is a target of line and spear fishing.
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
Lives in the southeastern Pacific, from southern Peru to Valdivia, Chile.
Habitat: Shallow coastal waters, 0 to 25 m.
rules for the velha-negra
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. It is a fish up to 64.6 cm: hold it firmly, with wet hands, and release it quickly.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01288, 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
—
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: Graus nigra (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Graus nigraNames by country and language.