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fishing forecast

southern barracudina

Magnisudis prionosa · Paralepididae · predator

Fine open-ocean fish of deep, cold southern waters that feeds on other fish and is almost never caught on a rod.

Also called: peixe-agulha-austral, barracudina austral, southern barracudina

Scientific illustration of Southern barracudina
maximum
55 cm
depth
300–800 m
location

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period

Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…

the species

everything about the southern barracudina

overview

who is the southern barracudina

Slender, elongated fish of the family Paralepididae, reaching 55 cm. It lives in deep southern waters, usually 300 to 800 m, and can reach 1,000 m. Juveniles stay near the surface, down to 200 m, while adults live deeper. It mainly eats fish. The body is pale, with a brown band along the back. It is found around the southern hemisphere, from the Southern Ocean to near Antarctica. For anglers, it is of interest only to commercial fishing.

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 southern barracudina.

fun facts

  • It can reach 1,000 m deep, but most adults live between 300 and 800 m.
how to recognize it

identification

Slender, elongated, pale body with a dark brown band along the back, reaching 55 cm. It is a deep-water fish, unlike surface needlefish, and has no other color marks. Juveniles live near the surface, down to 200 m, and adults much deeper, between 300 and 800 m.

distribution

where found

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Lives around the southern hemisphere, in the Southern Ocean, near Argentina and Uruguay.

Habitat: Deep waters, 300 to 800 m, with juveniles near the surface.

what the law says

rules for the southern barracudina

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. It lives at great depth: if brought up from there, the pressure change can cause barotrauma. Hold it by the body with wet hands and release it quickly.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00186, b = 3.13; 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.

  1. scientific FishBase: Magnisudis prionosa (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Magnisudis prionosaNames by country and language.