Deep & reef (jigging)
Black scabbardfish
Espada · Aphanopus carbo
Eel-like, jet-black, huge eyes and fang teeth. Madeira’s iconic food fish (the "espada com banana").
Best months
All year
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Legal minimum size
Not in the recreational size list.
Habitat
Very deep (~800–1200 m). A commercial deep-longline fishery, not a practical rod-and-line target — listed for cultural/catalogue reasons.
Method
Deep vertical longline at night (commercial context).
Legal sizes per Portaria 484/2016/M (Anexo II). Always confirm with the Direção Regional de Pescas.