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Illustration of Pacuma toadfish
fishing forecast

pacuma toadfish

Batrachoides surinamensis · full profile

location

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period

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the species

everything about the pacuma toadfish

how to recognize it

Brown body with black spots and saddle-shaped marks. The head has scales up to the middle of the eye, and the area between the eyes is smooth, without filaments. It has firm spines on the dorsal fin and on the operculum, the gill cover. It differs from Batrachoides manglae, which has fine filaments on the head, without scales there, and lives in mangrove lagoons.

Also called: peixe-sapo-do-suriname, peixe-sapo, sapo guayanés, pacuma toadfish

don't confuse with:

We don't have tips on season, bait or technique for this species yet.

Where to look: Sand and mud bottoms of shallow, warm, brackish waters, in estuaries and lagoons.

It occurs from Honduras and Venezuela to Bahia, in shallow, brackish waters of the Caribbean, Central America and the Guianas. In Brazil, it ranges from the North to the Northeast.

coast

North CoastNortheast Coastcoastal

rules for the pacuma toadfish

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.

Conservation: Not on the Brazilian national list (Ministerial Ordinance GM/MMA No. 1.667/2026).

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

estimated weight

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how we calculate

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00759, b = 3.16; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.

more about the pacuma toadfish

The Surinam toadfish belongs to the family Batrachoididae (toadfishes) and reaches 57 cm and 2.3 kg. It lives in shallow, warm, often brackish waters, on sand and mud bottoms, where it stays nearly still and very well camouflaged. It feeds on crabs, shrimp, small mollusks and fish. Females mature at about 20 cm and can release 400 to 500 small eggs. In Brazil, the species occurs from the North to Bahia, and commercial fishing usually sells it fresh.

Family: Batrachoididae · predator

fun facts

  • It is not very active and stays still on the bottom, camouflaged in sand and mud.

in the kitchen

Sold fresh at market.

similar species

sources and references (3)

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.

  1. scientific FishBase: Batrachoides surinamensis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Batrachoides surinamensisNames by country and language.
  3. official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026: Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.