panama spadefish
Parapsettus panamensis
Spadefish of shallow reefs and rocky bottoms of the Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Peru. It is commercially fished and of little sport interest.
Also called: enxada-panamenha, curaca, palma, pollera panameña, panama spadefish
- maximum
- 31 cm
- record/max.
- 0.8 kg
who is the panama spadefish
Fish of the family Ephippidae, with a disc-shaped, compressed body, which reaches 31 cm and has a common size of 20 cm. It can weigh up to 793 g. It lives over coral reefs and rocky bottoms in shallow waters, from the Gulf of California to Peru. It always stays close to the bottom and feeds on invertebrates. It is commercially fished. It is of little interest to sport fishing and is often seen on the same reefs where the much larger Pacific spadefish lives.
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 panama spadefish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Fish with a disc-shaped, laterally flattened body, from shallow reefs and rocky bottoms. On the same coast, the Pacific spadefish (Chaetodipterus zonatus) is similar and lives on the same reefs, but it reaches 65 cm, much larger than this one, which reaches 31 cm. Size is the main difference for telling the two 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
Eastern Pacific of Latin America, from the Gulf of California to Peru, on shallow reefs and rocky bottoms.
Habitat: Coral reefs and rocky bottoms in shallow water, close to the coast.
rules for the panama spadefish
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.
It has no venom and is safe to handle. As it lives on shallow reefs, watch out for rocks when fishing.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.03236, b = 2.94; 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: Parapsettus panamensis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Parapsettus panamensisNames by country and language.
