cascudo-colher
Dasyloricaria filamentosa · Loricariidae · omnivore
Armored catfish from the Magdalena River basin in Colombia, reaching 32.2 cm and weighing up to 170 g. It has commercial fishing and is used in the aquarium trade.
Also called: cascudo-colher, cuchara, paleta, zapatero
- maximum
- 32 cm
- record/max.
- 0.2 kg
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
slide your finger or mouse over the chart to see each hoursee hour-by-hour table
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 cascudo-colher
who is the cascudo-colher
The cascudo cuchara is a freshwater armored catfish of the family Loricariidae, reaching 32.2 cm and weighing up to 170 g. It occurs in the Magdalena River basin in Colombia, and possibly in the Catatumbo River basin. It lives in tropical rivers and feeds on algae. It has commercial fishing and is used in the aquarium trade. For rod-and-reel anglers it is a river species with no sport appeal. In Colombia and Venezuela it has many local names, such as cuchara, paleta, zapatero and tabla.
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-colher; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Armored catfish with a flattened body and bony plates along the sides, of medium size, reaching 32.2 cm. It can be confused with the cascudo palito (Sturisomatichthys aureus), which lives in the same Magdalena basin, but that one is smaller, up to 20 cm. It lives in tropical rivers of Colombia, and the Magdalena basin is the best clue for recognizing the species in the field. Like other armored catfish, it has spines and plates that call for care when handling.
where found
Magdalena River basin in Colombia, and possibly the Catatumbo River basin, in tropical freshwater.
Habitat: Tropical rivers of the Magdalena basin in Colombia.
rules for the cascudo-colher
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.
No known danger to anglers. The spines and plates can cut, so hold it with a cloth.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.0038, b = 3.06; 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: Dasyloricaria filamentosa (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Dasyloricaria filamentosaNames 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: