panama longfin herring
Odontognathus panamensis
Coastal sardine of Central America, from El Salvador to Panama, caught for subsistence. It has an elongated body and a long upper jaw.
Also called: sardinha-panamenha, sardina machete, Panama longfin herring
- maximum
- 17 cm
who is the panama longfin herring
A fish of the family Pristigasteridae, a relative of sardines and herrings, with an elongated, compressed body, reaching 17 cm. Common size 12 cm. It lives in coastal waters of Central America, from El Salvador to Panama, and may enter estuaries. It occurs in El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. It feeds on small crustaceans and small fish. It has large pectoral fins and a small dorsal fin set well back on the body. The catch is for subsistence.
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 longfin herring; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Elongated, compressed body, with a belly keeled with serrated scutes. The upper jaw is wide in the middle, and its tip reaches or passes the gill opening. The pectoral fins are large and the dorsal fin is small, set well back on the body. It looks like the machete sardine (Ilisha fuerthii), but has a more elongated body and a long upper jaw.
Loading the next 7 days…
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, from El Salvador to Panama, with records in Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, in coastal waters of Central America.
Habitat: Coastal waters, possibly with entry into estuaries.
rules for the panama longfin herring
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.
Harmless to people. Small fish: if you are not keeping it, return it to the water quickly.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00407, b = 3.06; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
—
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: Odontognathus 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 Odontognathus panamensisNames by country and language.
