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Elephant Fish

Elephant Fish

The elephant fish is a bottom-dwelling chimaera — not a true fish but a cartilaginous relative of sharks — that Argentine artisanal fishers have targeted along the Patagonian coast since at least the 1950s.

Nearly all South Atlantic landings of this species come from Argentina, making the country the center of its Atlantic fishery. It's caught mainly by coastal gill-net fishers working sandy and muddy seafloor.

Scientific Name: Callorhinchus callorynchus

Also known as Pez elefante, Pez gallo, Peje gallo, Cockfish, Plownose chimaera

Physical Characteristics:
  • Silver to gray body with prominent brown spots concentrated on the upper half and fins; pink tones around the mouth and fin edges.
  • Unmistakable plow-shaped, fleshy snout that curves downward — the feature that gives the species its common name and sets it apart from any other fish in Argentine waters.
  • Very large, wing-like pectoral fins; a venomous spine at the front of the first dorsal fin.
  • Females grow larger, reaching about 102 cm; males top out around 85 cm. Juveniles are roughly 13 cm at birth.

What to know

Habitat Distribution

  • Native to Argentine waters; found along the Patagonian coast in the southwest Atlantic, from the Buenos Aires province south through Tierra del Fuego and the Beagle Channel.
  • Lives on sandy and muddy seafloor, typically between 10 and 116 meters depth — shallow enough for coastal artisanal gear to reach.
  • Specimens have been recorded in the Argentine sector of the Beagle Channel at depths as shallow as 15 meters.
  • A coastal species that stays close to shore rather than ranging into deep open ocean.

Key Locations

  • Patagonian coast — the core of Argentine landings, with artisanal gill-net fleets working sandy shelf waters throughout the region.
  • Beagle Channel (Argentine sector) — documented records of both males and females at shallow depths, indicating year-round coastal presence in the far south.

Specific Spots

  • Sandy and muddy bottom patches where scallops and bivalves concentrate — the elephant fish's plow-shaped snout is built to root through exactly this substrate.
  • Shallow nearshore flats (10–30 m) where juveniles and smaller males tend to feed on small gastropods and soft-bodied invertebrates.
  • Deeper soft-bottom areas where adult females target the scallop Zygochlamys patagonica, a commercially important bivalve that concentrates in Patagonian shelf waters.

Elephant Fish FAQ

Answers from onWater's species guide.

What are the best lures and bait for Elephant Fish?

Natural baits matching its prey, pieces of shellfish, squid, or cut bivalve, presented on the bottom are the logical choice given its feeding method. Not a species commonly targeted by recreational anglers with lures; the gill-net artisanal fishery dominates landings in Argentina.

How do you catch Elephant Fish?

Elephant fish in Argentina are taken almost entirely by artisanal coastal fishers using gill nets set on sandy and muddy seafloor. Recreational rod-and-reel targeting is uncommon; where it occurs, bottom fishing with natural bait from a boat over soft substrate is the method.

What do Elephant Fish eat?

Adults crush hard-shelled bottom prey, bivalves (including scallops like Zygochlamys patagonica and Aequipecten tehuelchus), gastropods, and polychaete worms, using plate-like teeth built for grinding shells rather than cutting.

Where do Elephant Fish live?

Native to Argentine waters; found along the Patagonian coast in the southwest Atlantic, from the Buenos Aires province south through Tierra del Fuego and the Beagle Channel. Lives on sandy and muddy seafloor, typically between 10 and 116 meters depth, shallow enough for coastal artisanal gear to reach.

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