estuarine sea catfish
Cathorops aguadulce
Catfish of rivers, lagoons and estuaries from Mexico to Guatemala, with spines that can cut. It is a commercial catch.
Also called: bagre-estuarino, bagre aguadulce, coruco, estuarine sea catfish
- maximum
- 23 cm
who is the estuarine sea catfish
The estuarine catfish is a catfish of the family Ariidae and reaches 22.7 cm. It lives in medium and large rivers, lagoons and small drainages of the Atlantic slope, from the Pánuco River basin in Mexico to Lake Izabal in Guatemala. It prefers fresh water but also occurs in brackish and marine water. 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 rarely a target of rod anglers.
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 estuarine sea catfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- The scientific name has been revised: the older specimens from the Usumacinta River and Lake Izabal basins are now attributed to Cathorops kailolae.
identification
Elongated catfish, without scales, with three pairs of barbels around the mouth, like the other ariids. The pectoral spine has long, clearly visible serrations on the back edge, and there are fleshy papillae between the gill filaments of the first two arches. The papillose catfish, from the same region, also has these papillae, but its snout is closer to the origin of the dorsal fin. Other Cathorops catfishes of the region look similar, so it is worth checking these details.
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
Atlantic slope, from the Pánuco River basin in Mexico to Lake Izabal in Guatemala, in rivers, lagoons and estuaries.
Habitat: Medium and large rivers, lagoons and small drainages, mainly in fresh water and sometimes in brackish water.
rules for the estuarine 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 = 0.00468, 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: Cathorops aguadulce (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 aguadulceNames by country and language.
