new granada sea catfish
Notarius bonillai
Catfish endemic to Colombia, from rivers, estuaries and lagoons with mangroves, in murky water, up to 80 cm. It has little commercial fishing, and the spines injure anyone handling it.
Also called: bagre-cabra, bagre chivo, bagre, new granada sea catfish
- maximum
- 80 cm
who is the new granada sea catfish
The New Granada sea catfish is an ariid catfish endemic to Colombia and reaches 80 cm, with a common size of 40 cm. It lives in murky water over mud bottoms, in the lower stretches of rivers, in estuaries and in lagoons with mangroves, mostly in fresh and brackish water. Like other catfish of the family, it has three pairs of barbels. It has little commercial fishing. The fin spines injure, so handling requires care.
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 new granada sea catfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Elongated catfish. Among Caribbean catfish, it stands out for having three pairs of barbels, a crescent-shaped plate just behind the head, much shorter than the bony extension of the nape, and for lacking the fleshy groove between the rear nostrils. It looks like other catfish from the Colombian coast, so check the region and the size.
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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
Colombia, the only country where it occurs, in murky water of the lower stretches of rivers, estuaries and lagoons with mangroves. Not recorded in Brazil.
Habitat: Murky water over mud bottoms, in the lower stretches of rivers, in estuaries and in lagoons with mangroves.
rules for the new granada 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 spines of the dorsal and pectoral fins injure. Hold it with a cloth, remove the hook with pliers and return it without touching the spine.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00708, b = 3.01; 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: Notarius bonillai (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 bonillaiNames by country and language.
