steindachner's sea catfish
Cathorops steindachneri
Sea catfish of marine, brackish and fresh waters of Central America, reaching 36 cm. Little fished and rarely eaten because of its small size.
Also called: bagre-babão, bagre baboso, steindachner's sea catfish
- maximum
- 36 cm
who is the steindachner's sea catfish
Fish of the family Ariidae, a small catfish reaching 36 cm, with a common size of 20 cm. It lives in marine, brackish and fresh water, in rivers, estuaries and coastal waters of the Central American Pacific, from Guatemala to Panama, with a record in Ecuador too. It has spines that wound. In angling it has little commercial importance. Because it is small, it is rarely eaten. The head plate, grainy and rough, is the mark that helps identify the species.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the steindachner's sea catfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Body somewhat elongated, dark brown on the back, white belly and blue-silver flanks with a shine. Fins dark or black, and barbels dark brown. The head plate is thick, grainy and rough, and the caudal lobes are long, thin and pointed, almost as long as the head. The dorsal and pectoral spines wound.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Central American Pacific, from Guatemala to El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, with a record in Ecuador too.
Habitat: Rivers, estuaries and coastal waters, from fresh to marine water.
rules for the steindachner's sea catfish
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
The dorsal and pectoral spines wound. Hold it carefully when releasing it.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00776, b = 3.08; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa pelo gênero e formato do corpo)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Cathorops steindachneri (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Cathorops steindachneriNames by country and language.
