Argentine Straptail

Body depth 6.7 to 8.1 times in body length; head length 4.75 to 6.6 times in total length. Measurements in relation to head length: interorbital width 4 to 4.8 times; upper jaw 1.7 to 2 times; lower jaw 1.5 to 1.6 times; snout length 3 to 3.3 times; eye diameter 3.2 (young) to 4.4 times. Teeth in lower jaw stronger than those in upper jaw; about 10 conical teeth in upper and 7 to 9 in lower jaw; canine-like teeth on tip of upper jaw present; gill rakers on first arch 7 or 8 on upper limb, 23 to 27 on lower limb, 30 to 34 in total. First dorsal fin with 1 spine and 10 to 13 rays; second dorsal with about 90 to 100 rays; anal fin with 83 to 90 rays; pectoral fins with 17 to 19 rays, their lengths l.3 times in head length; pelvic fins 8 rays, their length 1.6 to 2.1 times in head length. Colour: dorsal side of body purplish blue, belly silvery with a slight bluish tinge; small melanophores scattered on fin membrane of dorsal, and anal fins, inside of mouth blackish.

Maximum total length about 1.1 m (5 kg weight); common from 70 to 90 cm.

A benthic, schooling speciesfound in depths from 30 to 500 m, concentrated on the outer part of the continental shelf.The Patagonian grenadier migrates southward in spring and summer, and northward in winter. Spawning occurs in winter (June-August), mainly in mid-waters. The main spawning grounds off Argentina are the Gulf of San Matias (south of 48°S), in waters of about 100 m depth. The spawning population includes fishes over 30 cm in preanal length. Feeds mainly on fish (herrings, anchovies, lantern fishes); also on mysids, cephalopods, euphausids and amphipods.

Caught mainly off southern Chile. The total catch reported for this species to FAO for 1999 was 446 663 t. The countries with the largest catches were Chile (309 723 t) and Argentina (117 571 t). Caught with bottom trawls and utilized fresh, frozen and for fish meal.

Dorsal part of body purplish blue, belly silvery with a slight bluish tinge; small melanophores scattered on fin membrane of dorsal and anal fins; inside of mouth blackish (Ref. 1371).

Oceanodromous. Migrating within oceans typically between spawning and different feeding areas, as tunas do. Migrations should be cyclical and predictable and cover more than 100 km.

Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 100 - 113; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 83 - 90

Schooling species which are concentrated on the outer part of the continental shelf . Feeds mainly on fish (herring, anchovies, lantern fishes), also on mysids, cephalopods, euphausiids and amphipods. Migrates southward in spring and summer and northward in winter.

Schooling species which are concentrated on the outer part of the continental shelf (Ref. 1371). Feeds mainly on fish (herring, anchovies, lantern fishes), also on mysids, cephalopods, euphausiids and amphipods (Ref. 1371). Migrates southward in spring and summer and northward in winter (Ref. 1371). Utilized fresh, frozen and for fishmeal (Ref. 1371).

fisheries: highly commercial; price category: medium; price reliability: reliable: based on ex-vessel price for this species

Known from seamounts and knolls