cascudo-capitão
Astroblepus grixalvii
Armored catfish from fast-current rivers of the Magdalena basin in Colombia, up to 30 cm. It has commercial fishing and clings to rocks.
Also called: cascudo-capitão, el capitán, pez negro, la guapucha
- maximum
- 30 cm
who is the cascudo-capitão
The cascudo capitán is a fish of the family Astroblepidae, the Andean climbing catfishes, relatives of the cascudos, reaching 30 cm. It lives in the Magdalena River basin in Colombia, in fast-flowing rivers, where it clings to rocks with its suckered mouth, near the bottom. It has commercial fishing and poses no danger to anglers. In Colombia it is also called pez negro or de la guapucha.
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 cascudo-capitão; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Elongated fish with a suckered mouth and skin lacking thick bony plates. It is much larger than the cascudo babão, which stays at up to 10 cm, while the cascudo capitán reaches 30 cm. The two belong to the same genus and both occur in Colombia, so size and basin help tell them apart.
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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
Magdalena River basin, Colombia. Does not occur in Brazil.
Habitat: Fast-flowing rivers with rocky bottoms, where the species attaches.
rules for the cascudo-capitão
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.
Rock fish: if caught by mistake, release it without lifting it out of the water, with wet hands.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01413, b = 3.09; 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: Astroblepus grixalvii (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Astroblepus grixalviiNames by country and language.
