bagre-mariana
Doraops zuloagai
Freshwater catfish from Lake Maracaibo and rivers of Venezuela and Colombia, reaching 50 cm. It enters commercial fishing.
Also called: bagre-mariana, mariana, sierra mariano
- maximum
- 50 cm
who is the bagre-mariana
The bagre-mariana is a freshwater doradid of the family Doradidae, reaching 50 cm. It lives on the bottom of rivers, preferably in muddy-bottomed backwaters, in the Lake Maracaibo basin, in Venezuela and Colombia, in a tropical climate. It feeds on insects, worms, small crabs and snails. It has commercial fishing and is not a target of sport fishing. Like other doradids, it has spines and bony plates that require care when handling.
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 bagre-mariana; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Elongated catfish with a broad head and flattened belly, with bony plates along the sides and strong spines on the fins, like other doradids. It reaches 50 cm and lives in muddy-bottomed backwaters of the Lake Maracaibo basin. Another Venezuelan doradid, the spiny catfish (Agamyxis albomaculatus), is much smaller, up to 15 cm, and lives in the Orinoco basin.
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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
Lake Maracaibo basin, in Venezuela, and neighboring areas of Colombia, in tropical fresh water.
Habitat: Muddy bottom of rivers and backwaters of the Lake Maracaibo basin, in tropical fresh water.
rules for the bagre-mariana
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 spines and bony plates can injure. Hold it with a cloth or glove and avoid touching the spines with your hand.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.0123, b = 2.96; 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: Doraops zuloagai (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Doraops zuloagaiNames by country and language.
