Chihuil, Bagre panamensis
Chihuil, Bagre panamensis. Fish caught within Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur, October 2018. Length: 19.7 cm (7.8 inches).
Chihuil, Bagre panamensis. Fish caught from coastal waters off Loreto, Baja California Sur, October 2017. Length: 36 cm (14 inches).
Chihuil, Bagre panamensis. Fish caught from coastal waters off Mazatlán, Sinaloa, October 2021. Length: 36 cm (14 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Bart, The Netherlands (worldangler.eu).
Chihuil, Bagre panamensis. Fish caught from coastal waters off Puerto Adolfo Lopez Mateos within the northern portion of the Magdalena Bay complex, Baja California Sur, November 2023. Length: 38 cm (15 inches). Weight: 0.5 kg (1 lb 1 oz). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Chris Wheaton, Fullerton, California. This fish has been sub mitted for a new IFGA World Record.
The Chihuil, Bagre panamensis, is a member of the Sea Catfish or Ariidae Family, that is also known as the Chihuil Sea Catfish and in Mexico as bagre chihuil. Globally, there are four species in the genus Bagre, of which three are found in Mexican waters, one in the Atlantic and two in the Pacific Ocean.
The Chihuil have the standard “catfish” appearance with a robust body that is rounded anteriorly and compressed posteriorly. They are dark blue dorsally with a silvery sheen, have silvery-white sides, and transition to white ventrally. Their fins are pale to dusky. Their head is wide with a shield that has ridges and a sub-terminal mouth. They are equipped with narrow bands of palate teeth and 2 pairs of barbels. Their upper barbel is broad and ribbon-like and can reach the pelvic fins; their second barbel is short and lower on the head. Their anal fin has 25 to 30 rays; their caudal fin is deeply forked; their first dorsal fin is serrated and has 1 venomous spine and 7 rays; their second dorsal fin is a small skin flap; and their pectoral fins are serrated and have 1 venomous spine that is long and flattened and reaches the anal fin origin. They have 5 to 7 gill rakers on the first arch and 12 to 14 on the second arch. They do not have no scales and their skin is smooth to the touch. Their lateral line is complete.
The Chihuil is a demersal species that is found in coastal waters and estuaries over sandy and muddy bottoms at depths up to 183 m (600 feet). They reach a maximum of 57 cm (22 inches) in length. They feed on small fish and a wide variety of benthic invertebrates including crabs, mollusks, and shrimp. The Chihuil is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.
The Chihuil is a resident of Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean and found in all coastal waters and in all river systems that drain into the Pacific.
The Chihuil is most likely confused with the Long-barbeled Sea Catfish, Bagre pinnimaculatus (larger body; extended filament on dorsal fin).
From a conservation perspective the Chihuil is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable widely distributed populations. They are an important commercial fish and are marketed fresh, frozen, dried or smoked. They are viewed as good table fare and have been a mainstay of subsistence fishermen for centuries. They are often sold under the name “sciaenid corvinata” which is more socially acceptable and can command higher prices. Caution: Care must be taken during handling to avoid being gaffed by the venomous spines found at the front of their first dorsal and pectoral fins which are often removed at the time of the catch.