flathead sea catfish
Notarius planiceps
Sea catfish with a flattened head, reaching 60 cm, living on sandy bottoms along the coast, from Mexico to Panama. It has spines that wound, and it is sold fresh.
Also called: bagre-cabeça-chata, bagre cabeza chata, flathead sea catfish
- maximum
- 60 cm
who is the flathead sea catfish
Fish of the family Ariidae, a sea catfish reaching 60 cm. It lives in coastal waters over sandy bottoms and can go up rivers and estuaries. It occurs on the Pacific coast of Central America, from Mexico to Panama. It feeds on invertebrates living on the bottom. It has spines that wound and is caught in commercial fishing, with little prominence in sport fishing. Its popular name comes from its flat head. It is sold fresh in markets.
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 flathead sea catfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Head flattened on top, on an elongated body, with barbels and strong spines on the dorsal and pectoral fins. It lives on sandy bottoms in coastal waters and can enter rivers. It reaches 60 cm, larger than several catfish of the region, such as the tete and chihuil catfish.
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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 Mexico to Panama, in coastal waters and rivers that empty into the sea.
Habitat: Coastal waters over sandy bottom, which can go up rivers and estuaries.
rules for the flathead 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 fin spines wound. Hold it carefully, with a cloth or glove, when removing the hook.
in the kitchen
Sold fresh.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00468, b = 3.13; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). 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: Notarius planiceps (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Notarius planicepsNames by country and language.
