chomba sea catfish
Notarius osculus
Sea catfish of the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and Panama, from coastal waters. Its spines wound the angler, and its flesh is sold fresh.
Also called: bagre-chomba, cuminata chomba, chomba sea catfish
- maximum
- 28 cm
who is the chomba sea catfish
Fish of the family Ariidae, scaleless with spines in the fins. It occurs on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and Panama, in coastal, marine and brackish waters, near the bottom. It reaches 28 cm standard length. The species is commercially fished, and the flesh is sold fresh. For the sport angler it is an occasional catch along the coast, and the fin spines require care when handling.
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 chomba sea catfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Elongated sea catfish, scaleless, with barbels around the mouth and spines in the fins, like all Ariidae catfish. On the coast of Costa Rica and Panama it lives together with Cathorops dasycephalus and C. tuyra, which look similar. Its maximum standard length, of 28 cm, is smaller than the 36 cm total length of C. dasycephalus, and separating them in the field requires detailed examination.
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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
It occurs in the Central American Pacific, on the coast of Costa Rica and Panama, in coastal and brackish waters.
Habitat: Near the bottom, in coastal, marine and brackish waters.
rules for the chomba 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: use a cloth or glove, remove the hook with pliers, and release the fish with care.
in the kitchen
It is sold fresh, and for that reason it has value in commercial fishing.
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 osculus (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 osculusNames by country and language.
