cotuero toadfish
Batrachoides manglae
Small toadfish of coastal lagoons bordered by mangroves, in Colombia and Venezuela. The flesh is of low quality.
Also called: peixe-sapo-lagunar, guasa lagunar, sapo lagunero, cotuero toadfish
- maximum
- 30 cm
- record/max.
- 0.3 kg
who is the cotuero toadfish
The lagoon toadfish belongs to the family Batrachoididae (toadfishes), with a common size near 20 cm and reaching 30 cm and 350 g. It lives on shallow muddy bottoms, in lagoons bordered by mangroves, in Colombia and Venezuela, where it is abundant. It mainly feeds on small mollusks and crustaceans. It has minor commercial use and is sold fresh, but its flesh is of low quality. Being small and of weak flesh, it is not a target of sport fishing.
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 cotuero toadfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Lives in lagoons bordered by mangroves, where it is abundant.
identification
Normally shaped, spindle-shaped body, with the top of the head covered in fine filaments and without scales. This is the mark that separates it from Batrachoides surinamensis, which has scales on the head and no filaments. It is also smaller, up to 30 cm, compared with 57 cm for the other.
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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
Occurs in Colombia and Venezuela, in shallow lagoons and muddy bottoms near mangroves.
Habitat: Shallow muddy bottoms of lagoons bordered by mangroves.
rules for the cotuero toadfish
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.
Not dangerous to anglers, and it is a small fish: just remove the hook carefully and release it.
in the kitchen
Sold fresh, but the flesh is of low quality.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01, b = 3.08; 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: Batrachoides manglae (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Batrachoides manglaeNames by country and language.
