Genidens genidens
The most common catfish in the estuaries of the South and Southeast. Bites bottom baits all year; watch the spines.
Also called: bagre-guri, bagre-urutu, guriaçu, bagre-mandi, bagre
The guri sea catfish is a medium-sized sea catfish, common in bays, estuaries and coastal lagoons of the Southeast and South, such as the Cananéia and Paranaguá complexes and Lagoa dos Patos. It lives on mud and sand bottoms and eats small crustaceans, mollusks, worms and fish. Like the other catfish in its family, the male incubates the eggs in its mouth. It is caught by artisanal fishing and often takes the hook of anglers fishing bottom from piers, banks or canoes. Unlike the white sea catfish, which is Endangered and whose targeted fishing is banned outside SP and PR, the guri sea catfish is not on the national list of threatened species and has a 20 cm minimum size from Espírito Santo to Rio Grande do Sul.
Scaleless sea catfish with a flattened head and bony plate, three pairs of barbels (one on the maxilla and two on the chin), serrated spines on the dorsal and pectoral fins, adipose fin and forked tail. Grayish-brown back and pale belly. Rarely exceeds 40 cm: a catfish of this type over 50 cm is probably the white sea catfish, which must be released outside SP and PR.
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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.
From Bahia to Rio Grande do Sul, reaching the Río de la Plata estuary (Uruguay and Argentina). It is most abundant in estuaries and bays of the Southeast and South.
Habitat: Estuaries, bays, coastal lagoons and mangrove channels with mud or sand bottoms; enters brackish water and river mouths.
coast
states
Bahia, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul
famous destinations
Can be fished all year. In strong cold, activity drops in the shallows; in spring and summer the schools are more active inside the estuaries.
Night and twilight. Feeds more at dusk and at night, rooting the bottom. In murky water it also bites by day.
A cold front drops activity in the shallows for a day or two.
Not very sensitive.
Dark nights and spring tides usually produce more.
Likes murky water; even moderate rain helps.
With more salt water in the estuary, it moves farther upstream; a river flood pushes it toward the inlet.
Not very sensitive.
Strong wind makes it hard to feel the bite on the bottom.
Fish with the tide running; on the flood it follows salt water into the channels.
From 0.5 to 10 m in estuaries; deeper in bays and nearshore sea.
natural baits
accessories
Use little bait and a sliding sinker: the guri sea catfish nibbles and steals big bait.
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: Not on the national list (Portaria GM/MMA 1.667/2026). Minimum size of 20 cm on the coast from ES to RS (IN MMA 53/2005).
On the coast from ES to RS it is banned to fish for, keep on board or land guri sea catfish under 20 cm total length. The 20% tolerance of the catch (by weight) provided in the rule is for enforcement at landings; recreational anglers must release the small ones. The rule does not apply to trawling.
Hold it with thick cloth behind the pectoral fins, away from the spines, and remove the hook with pliers. A male with eggs or young in its mouth must go back in right away.
Light, tasty meat, good in moqueca, stew and fried in steaks. Skin it and clean it right after catching.
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00724, b = 3.07; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana, comprimento total)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.
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