curator sea catfish
Cathorops raredonae
Small Pacific catfish, from Mexico to El Salvador, which lives in marine, brackish and fresh water and is caught commercially.
Also called: bagre-curador, bagre curadora, curator sea catfish
- maximum
- 19 cm
who is the curator sea catfish
Fish of the family Ariidae that occurs in the eastern Pacific, from Mexico to El Salvador. It lives near the bottom in marine, brackish and fresh water. It reaches 19.1 cm standard length, much less than the other species of the genus on this coast. It is caught commercially and is not considered dangerous to anglers. Like other catfish, it has no scales and has spines in the fins, so handle it with care. For the sport angler, it is an occasional catch.
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 curator sea catfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Small elongated sea catfish, scaleless, with barbels around the mouth, like the other sea catfish of the family Ariidae. Size is the best trait to separate it from the other Cathorops of the same coast, such as the congo catfish, the caixa catfish and the babão catfish, which reach 30 to 36 cm total length. Its 19.1 cm is standard length, without the tail. To confirm the species, safe identification depends on a specialist's examination.
Loading the next 7 days…
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 eastern Pacific, from Mexico to El Salvador, in marine, brackish and fresh water.
Habitat: Near the bottom, in marine, brackish and fresh water of the coast of the Mexican and Central American Pacific.
rules for the curator 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.
No danger recorded for anglers, but, like other catfish, it has spines in the fins. Handle it with a cloth and remove the hook with pliers.
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
—
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 raredonae (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 raredonaeNames by country and language.
