hapuku wreckfish
Polyprion oxygeneios · Polyprionidae · predator
Grouper of cold, deep waters of the southern hemisphere, heavily overfished. It comes from deep bottoms, so it suffers barotrauma and needs care when released.
Also called: cherne-hapuku, bacalao, cherna hapuku, hapuku wreckfish
- maximum
- 160 cm
- record/max.
- 100.0 kg
- depth
- 50–854 m
the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
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hour by hour
slide your finger or mouse over the chart to see each hoursee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
choose the day
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.
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the hapuku wreckfish
who is the hapuku wreckfish
Fish of the family Polyprionidae, with a robust body and a large head, reaching 160 cm and 100 kg. It lives in cold waters of the southern hemisphere, from 50 to 854 m, over uneven bottoms, from the central shelf to the edge and top of the slope, and also on seamounts. In Latin America, it occurs in Chile, including the Juan Fernández and Desventuradas islands. Juveniles stay in surface waters, perhaps in schools near drifting seaweed. Adults eat schooling fish, such as sardines, and bottom fish. It is caught with bottom longlines down to 400 m, sometimes enters trawl nets, and is heavily overfished.
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 hapuku wreckfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- The maximum recorded age is 60 years.
- It is prey of sperm whales.
identification
Fish with a robust, spindle-shaped body and a large head, like the other members of the family Polyprionidae. It lives close to the bottom, on uneven terrain, from the shelf to the top of the slope, while juveniles swim near the surface, alongside drifting seaweed. It belongs to the same genus as the wreckfish (Polyprion americanus), with which it can be confused.
where found
Species of cold waters of the southern hemisphere. In Latin America, it occurs in Chile, including the Juan Fernández and Desventuradas islands.
Habitat: Uneven bottom from the central shelf to the top of the slope, from 50 to 854 m, and seamounts; juveniles near the surface.
rules for the hapuku wreckfish
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 people. If it comes from deep bottom, the fish suffers barotrauma, with its swim bladder swollen, and cannot return on its own: if possible, return it to the bottom with a descending device.
in the kitchen
Sold fresh and frozen, and can be steamed, fried, grilled or baked.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01072, b = 2.99; 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: Polyprion oxygeneios (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Polyprion oxygeneiosNames by country and language.
similar species
where each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: