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Patagonian toothfish

Patagonian toothfish

Deep-water notothen of the Southern Ocean

Photo: Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Patagonian toothfish is a large, long-lived species found in cold southern waters. It supports commercial fisheries managed by international bodies and national governments to ensure sustainability.

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  • Lives up to 50 years in cold deep water
  • Market name Chilean sea bass invented in 1977
  • Can reach lengths of over two metres
  • Managed by CCAMLR in southern oceans
  • Juveniles live in shallow water before diving deep

What it is

This fish has a streamlined body with a flattened head and large mouth. Its jaws hold two rows of teeth, with larger canine-like ones on the outside. The skin is brownish-grey with dark blotches and covered in small scales. Two lateral lines run along its flanks. Adults can reach over two metres in length and weigh up to 200 kg, though most caught commercially are much smaller.

Where it lives

It inhabits cold waters between one and four degrees Celsius. You will find it on continental shelves and seamounts across the southern Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Specific locations include the coasts of Chile and Argentina, the Falkland Islands, and sub-Antarctic islands like South Georgia and Macquarie. Juveniles stay in shallower zones while adults dive deeper than 1,000 metres.

How it lives

Young fish live in relatively shallow water and eat local prey. As they grow and move deeper, their diet expands to include squid and crustaceans. They also scavenge. Large predators such as sperm whales and colossal squid hunt them. The species lives for decades, growing slowly in the cold environment.

Breeding and life cycle

Spawning occurs in deep water around 1,000 metres during the austral winter. The eggs and larvae float in the open water column. After about a year, the young settle near the seabed at depths of roughly 100 metres. They remain in these shallower habitats until they are six or seven years old, then migrate down.

Patagonian toothfish
A drawing made by EveryFish from what this page says. It is a diagram, not a picture of the real fish.

Fish and people

Marketers renamed this fish Chilean sea bass to boost sales in North America. It is a valuable food fish caught by longlines and trawls. International commissions and national authorities manage the stocks. Many fisheries have earned sustainability certifications. Regulations require measures to protect seabirds from hooks, such as weighted lines and bird-scaring devices.

Status and threats

Management bodies monitor catches to prevent overfishing. Certification programmes track legal harvests from sea to sale. These efforts aim to reduce illegal fishing and protect the marine ecosystem. Seabird mortality has dropped significantly in regulated areas due to strict operational rules.

Chilean Sea Bass cooked "Hong Kong" style from Eddie V's in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Chilean Sea Bass cooked "Hong Kong" style from Eddie V's in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Photo: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Questions people ask about Patagonian toothfish

Why is it called Chilean sea bass?

A wholesaler created the name in 1977 to make the fish more appealing to American buyers. The US Food and Drug Administration accepted it as an alternative market name in 1994.

How deep do Patagonian toothfish live?

They are found between 45 and 3,850 metres deep. Juveniles stay in shallower water under 300 metres, while adults often reside below 1,000 metres.

Is the fishery sustainable?

Many fisheries are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council. Management bodies use catch documentation schemes and strict rules to monitor stocks and reduce illegal fishing.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Patagonian toothfish", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryFish rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

It may contain mistakes, and figures change over time. Nothing here is investment or buying advice. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-11-15.

Like Patagonian toothfish

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Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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