flathead sea catfish
Notarius planiceps · Ariidae · omnivore
Sea catfish with a flattened head, reaching 60 cm, living on sandy bottoms along the coast, from Mexico to Panama. It has spines that wound, and it is sold fresh.
Also called: bagre-cabeça-chata, bagre cabeza chata, flathead sea catfish
- maximum
- 60 cm
the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
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hour by hour
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why this index at —?
choose the day
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.
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the flathead sea catfish
who is the flathead sea catfish
Fish of the family Ariidae, a sea catfish reaching 60 cm. It lives in coastal waters over sandy bottoms and can go up rivers and estuaries. It occurs on the Pacific coast of Central America, from Mexico to Panama. It feeds on invertebrates living on the bottom. It has spines that wound and is caught in commercial fishing, with little prominence in sport fishing. Its popular name comes from its flat head. It is sold fresh in markets.
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 flathead sea catfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Head flattened on top, on an elongated body, with barbels and strong spines on the dorsal and pectoral fins. It lives on sandy bottoms in coastal waters and can enter rivers. It reaches 60 cm, larger than several catfish of the region, such as the tete and chihuil catfish.
where found
Central American Pacific, from Mexico to Panama, in coastal waters and rivers that empty into the sea.
Habitat: Coastal waters over sandy bottom, which can go up rivers and estuaries.
rules for the flathead 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.
The fin spines wound. Hold it carefully, with a cloth or glove, when removing the hook.
in the kitchen
Sold fresh.
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: Notarius planiceps (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Notarius planicepsNames by country and language.
similar species
where each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: