flapnose sea catfish
Sciades dowii
Pacific catfish, from Panama to Ecuador, of estuaries and rivers, up to 90 cm. Its flesh is sold fresh and salted, and the spines injure anyone handling it.
Also called: bagre-moreno, canchema, bagre masato, flapnose sea catfish
- maximum
- 90 cm
who is the flapnose sea catfish
The flapnose sea catfish is an ariid catfish from the Pacific side of Central and South America, from Panama to Ecuador, with a blue-brown or blue-gray body. It lives in estuaries, rivers and brackish water. It reaches 90 cm, and the common size is 50 cm. It eats small fish and bottom invertebrates. It is caught commercially and sold fresh, salted and dried. Like other sea catfish, it has spines that injure, so handle it with care. Canchema and bagre masato are names used in Ecuador.
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 flapnose sea catfish.
identification
Elongated, slender body, blue-brown or blue-gray, with a white belly. The fins are dark, with many brown spots, and the maxillary barbels are dark gray. The nostrils are connected by a thin fold of skin that runs across the snout. The adipose fin, above the end of the anal fin, is quite long compared to the dorsal fin.
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
Pacific side, from Panama to Ecuador, including Colombia, in rivers, estuaries and brackish water. Not recorded in Brazil.
Habitat: Estuaries and lower stretches of rivers, in fresh and brackish water.
rules for the flapnose 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 injure. Hold it with a cloth, remove the hook with pliers and release it; never touch the spine with your hand.
in the kitchen
Flesh sold fresh, as well as salted and dried, from estuary and river catfish.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00398, b = 3.18; 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
—
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: Sciades dowii (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Sciades dowiiNames by country and language.