papillate sea catfish
Cathorops kailolae
Catfish of southern Mexico and Guatemala, with papillae between the gill filaments. It lives mostly in fresh water, tolerates salt water and is a commercial catch.
Also called: bagre-papiloso, bagre de Kailola, bagre papilosa, papillate sea catfish
- maximum
- 25 cm
who is the papillate sea catfish
The papillose catfish is a catfish of the family Ariidae and reaches 25.4 cm. It lives in the Lake Izabal basin, in Guatemala, and the Usumacinta River basin, between Guatemala and Mexico. It occurs mainly in fresh water, but also in places of high salinity. 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. It was separated from the estuarine catfish in a scientific review.
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 papillate sea catfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- The catfishes of the Usumacinta and Lake Izabal were treated as Cathorops aguadulce until the scientific review.
identification
Elongated catfish, without scales, with three pairs of barbels around the mouth. The most helpful trait is the presence of fleshy papillae between the gill filaments of the first two arches. It resembles the estuarine catfish, which also has these papillae, and the difference lies in body measurements, such as the distance from the snout to the origin of the dorsal fin, which is shorter in the papillose catfish.
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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 Izabal (Guatemala) and Usumacinta River (Guatemala and Mexico) basins, in fresh water and, at times, in salty areas.
Habitat: Freshwater, in rivers and lakes, sometimes in places of high salinity.
rules for the papillate 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 = 3.16; 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 kailolae (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 kailolaeNames by country and language.
