Norwegian record Roughhead grenadier: 5.82 kg

About Roughhead grenadier

The roughhead grenadier (Macrourus berglax) is a deep-sea rattail with a large, robust head, a pointed snout and a body that tapers into a long, thin tail with no true tail fin. It has big, bulging eyes, a mouth set underneath the head, a short chin barbel and rough, spiny scales. The colour is grey to silvery grey with darker fins. It can reach around 1 m, though most are much smaller. It lives in cold water below about 5 °C in both the western and eastern North Atlantic. In Norway it ranges from Svalbard and the Barents Sea south along the continental slope to roughly Bergen, usually at 200–1,000 m. It feeds on shrimps and other bottom animals. Growth is slow, and females do not mature until about 14 years old. It is taken as bycatch on longlines and trawls targeting Greenland halibut, and is regarded as good eating. Norwegian Red List 2021: Least Concern (LC).

Sources: Artsdatabanken, Store norske leksikon, Wikipedia

• Habitat: Saltvann
• Best month: Juli

See the species guide

Biggest Roughhead grenadier in FishComp

Caught a Roughhead grenadier? Log it in FishComp.

How to register a Norwegian record

1. Norwegian sport-fishing records are registered with Villmarksliv, not with FishComp. Read the rules before you do anything else with the fish.
2. Records are based on weight and approved by a jury. You give the weight and length, where it was caught, the gear you used and any witnesses.
3. Keep your photos and notes from the catch. Logging it in FishComp does not register a record.