dark sea catfish
Cathorops melanopus
A freshwater catfish from Guatemala, up to 23 cm. It has spines that can cut and is a commercial catch, with no prominence in sport fishing.
Also called: bagre-escuro, bagre prieto, dark sea catfish
- maximum
- 23 cm
who is the dark sea catfish
The dark catfish is a catfish of the family Ariidae and reaches 23 cm. It lives in the Motagua River, in Guatemala, and possibly in the Honduran stretch near the mouth. It occurs in fresh water, from the bottom to midwater, and information about its habits is limited. Like the other catfishes of the family, it has strong spines on the dorsal and pectoral fins that cause injuries. It is commercially fished and is not a target of sport fishing.
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 dark sea catfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Old records from other countries were reviewed and not confirmed.
identification
Elongated catfish, without scales, with three pairs of barbels around the mouth. The helpful traits are the intense black pigmentation on the pelvic fin and the lack of fleshy papillae between the gill filaments, unlike the estuarine catfish and the papillose catfish. The pectoral spine has clear serrations on the back edge.
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
Motagua River, in Guatemala, in fresh water; old records from Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama were reviewed and not confirmed.
Habitat: Freshwater river, from the bottom to midwater.
rules for the dark 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 cut: hold it behind the head, without touching the fins, and use pliers to remove the hook.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00832, b = 3.11; 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 melanopus (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 melanopusNames by country and language.
