chilhuil sea catfish
Bagre panamensis
Sea catfish that reaches 51 cm, lives near the coast and enters estuaries. It has venomous spines in front of the dorsal and pectoral fins, which cause painful wounds.
Also called: bagre-chihuil, bagre chihuil, chilhuil sea catfish
- maximum
- 51 cm
- depth
- 10–60 m
who is the chilhuil sea catfish
Fish of the family Ariidae, a sea catfish reaching 51 cm. It lives near the coast, on mud bottoms, and enters estuaries. It occurs in the eastern Pacific, from southern California to Peru, being rare north of Baja California. The usual depth range is 10 to 60 m. It has venomous spines in front of the dorsal and pectoral fins. It is sold fresh and has a commercial fishery, with no prominent sport value.
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 chilhuil sea catfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Scaleless, elongated catfish with barbels and strong spines. The most notable feature is the front spine of the dorsal and pectoral fins, which is venomous. It reaches 51 cm, less than the barbudo sea catfish, which reaches 95 cm. It lives on mud bottoms near the coast, while the cominate catfish prefers sand bottoms.
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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
Eastern Pacific, from Mexico to Peru, including Central America, Colombia and Ecuador. It is rare north of Baja California.
Habitat: Near the coast, over mud bottoms, in the usual range of 10 to 60 m, and in estuaries.
rules for the chilhuil 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 venomous spines of the dorsal and pectoral fins cause a painful wound. Handle it with gloves or a cloth and great care.
in the kitchen
Sold fresh.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00724, 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: Bagre panamensis (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 panamensisNames by country and language.
