box sea catfish
Cathorops multiradiatus
Small catfish, reaching 30 cm, from coastal and brackish waters of Central America, from Guatemala to Panama. It has spines that wound and is sold fresh.
Also called: bagre-caixa, bagre cajeta, box sea catfish
- maximum
- 30 cm
who is the box sea catfish
Fish of the family Ariidae, a small catfish reaching 30 cm. It lives in marine and brackish waters near the coast, in rivers and bays of the Pacific, from Guatemala to Panama, with a record in Ecuador as well. It has an elongated, scaleless body, with barbels and strong spines that wound anyone handling it. It has commercial fishing, with no prominent sport value. It is sold fresh.
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 box sea catfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Small, elongated catfish, scaleless, with barbels and strong spines. It reaches 30 cm, much less than the barbudo sea catfish, which reaches 95 cm, which helps tell them apart. The dorsal and pectoral spines wound, as in all sea 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 Guatemala to Panama, with a record in Ecuador, in bays and rivers of the coast.
Habitat: Coastal, marine and brackish waters, near the shore.
rules for the box 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 wound. Handle it carefully and with a cloth or glove.
in the kitchen
Sold fresh.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00525, b = 3.15; 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: Cathorops multiradiatus (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 multiradiatusNames by country and language.
