wayuu sea catfish
Cathorops wayuu
Catfish of brackish and coastal waters of Colombia and Venezuela, with a commercial fishery. It poses no danger to anglers.
Also called: bagre-wayuu, bagre cuinche, wayuu sea catfish
- maximum
- 31 cm
who is the wayuu sea catfish
Catfish of the family Ariidae, up to 31.4 cm. It occurs along the coast from Colombia to Venezuela, in brackish and coastal marine waters, living near the bottom. The species has a commercial fishery. Among the Cathorops of the region, it is told apart by a dorsal spine equal to or shorter than the pectoral one and by a silvery or whitish body. It belongs to a group of marine catfish with granulated heads, common in Caribbean brackish waters, and it is considered harmless to 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 wayuu sea catfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Catfish with a scaleless body and a well granulated bony shield. In life, the flanks and belly are silvery or whitish, and the pelvic and pectoral fins are pale. The dorsal spine is equal to or shorter than the pectoral one, and the serrations of the pectoral spine are short and hardly visible. On the neighboring coast of Panama, Cathorops higuchii has a dorsal spine longer than the pectoral.
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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
It occurs along the coast from Colombia to Venezuela, in brackish and coastal marine waters.
Habitat: Brackish and coastal marine waters, near the bottom.
rules for the wayuu 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.
Like other marine catfish, it has spines on the dorsal and pectoral fins: hold the catfish by the body, away from the fins, and remove the hook carefully.
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 wayuu (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 wayuuNames by country and language.
