red sea catfish
Bagre pinnimaculatus
Sea catfish with a sturdy body and long barbels, reaching 95 cm and living in coastal waters of the Americas' Pacific. It has spines that wound and is caught commercially.
Also called: bagre-barbudo, bagre rojo, red sea catfish
- maximum
- 95 cm
who is the red sea catfish
Fish of the family Ariidae, a sturdy sea catfish reaching 95 cm, with a common size of about 30 cm. It lives in coastal, marine and brackish waters, and appears in rivers that empty into the Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Ecuador. It has two pairs of barbels, with the maxillary ones long and ribbon-shaped. It is caught commercially and sold fresh, salted, dried or smoked. The dorsal and pectoral spines are long and strong, and wound anyone handling it. In sport fishing, it is a bycatch.
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 red sea catfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Sturdy body, rounded at the front and flattened at the back, with two pairs of barbels: the maxillary ones are long and ribbon-shaped. Back metallic blue or bright violet, grayish-silver belly and yellow-green fins, with a black spot before the anal fin. Unlike the cominate catfish, which has an elongated body and reaches 50 cm, this one has a sturdier body and reaches 95 cm.
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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
In the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Ecuador, with rivers and bays of Central America and Colombia.
Habitat: Coastal, brackish and bottom waters, with inlets into rivers that empty into the Pacific.
rules for the red 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, with a cloth or glove, and remove the hook with care.
in the kitchen
Sold fresh, salted, dried or smoked.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00417, b = 2.98; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). 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: Bagre pinnimaculatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Bagre pinnimaculatusNames by country and language.
