cominate sea catfish
Occidentarius platypogon
Sea catfish of sandy bottoms and elongated body, reaching 50 cm, common on the shelf of the Americas' Pacific. It has spines that wound and is little consumed.
Also called: bagre-cominate, cominata, bagre cominate, cominate sea catfish
- maximum
- 50 cm
- record/max.
- 1.0 kg
- depth
- 6–107 m
who is the cominate sea catfish
Fish of the family Ariidae, an elongated, scaleless sea catfish reaching 50 cm. It is abundant on the continental shelf, over sandy bottoms of coastal waters down to 60 m. It occurs in the eastern Pacific, from Mexico to Central America, with records in Colombia and Ecuador. It can enter brackish waters. It is caught in gillnets and purse seines along with other fish, and is sold fresh or salted, but little eaten. It has strong spines that wound anyone handling it.
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 cominate sea catfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Elongated, scaleless body, with barbels and strong spines on the dorsal and pectoral fins, like sea catfish in general. It lives on sandy bottoms of coastal waters. Unlike the barbudo sea catfish, which is sturdier and up to 95 cm, this one has an elongated body and reaches 50 cm. The marks that separate it from its relatives are in the head bones and can only be seen in a cleaned skull.
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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
In the eastern Pacific, from Mexico to Central America, with records in Colombia and Ecuador.
Habitat: Sandy bottoms of coastal and brackish waters, on the shelf, generally down to 60 m.
rules for the cominate 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 dorsal and pectoral spines wound. Handle it carefully, with a cloth or glove, and remove the hook with care.
in the kitchen
Sold fresh or salted, but little eaten.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.0049, 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: Occidentarius platypogon (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Occidentarius platypogonNames by country and language.
