Yellow Bobo, Polydactylus opercularis
Yellow Bobo, Polydactylus opercularis. Fish caught from the Estero de Coyote, Punta Abreojos, Baja California Sur, June 2023. Length: 28 cm (13 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of of Captain Gary Boyer, Picabo, Idaho.
Note: for the fish presented below the identifications should be considered as tentative. A correct identification is only possible with a barbel count which was not made with any of these fish. Although “yellow” in coloration there is a real possibility that one, two or all three are Blue Bobos.
Yellow Bobo, Polydactylus opercularis. Fish caught from coastal waters off Mazatlán, Sinaloa, October 2021. Length: 28 cm (11 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Bart, The Netherlands (worldangler.eu).
Yellow Bobo, Polydactylus opercularis.
Yellow Bobo, Polydactylus opercularis. Fish caught from coastal waters off Mazatlán, Sinaloa, October 2019. Length: 28 cm (11 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of George Brinkman, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Yellow Bobo, Polydactylus opercularis. Fish caught from coastal waters off Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, February 2023. Length: 30 cm (12 inches). Catch and photograph courtesy of Ben Cantrell, Peoria, Illinois.
The Yellow Bobo, Polydactylus operecularis, is a member of the Threadfin or Polynemidae Family, and is known in Mexicoi as barbudo neuve barbas. Globally, there are twenty species in the genus Polydactylus, of which five are found in Mexican waters, three in the Atlantic and two in the Pacific Ocean.
The Yellow Bobo has and elongated compressed body and is fairly similar to freshwater catfish. They are bronzy brownish dorsally and transition to silvery yellow ventrally. Their fins are yellow with the pectoral fins being bright yellow. Their head has a short conical snout that overhangs the mouth, large eyes with fatty covers that are well forward, and a modest sized mouth below the snout equipped with teeth in bands on the top jaw. Their anal fin has 3 spines and 13 to 15 rays with a short base; their caudal fin is deeply forked; their first dorsal fin has 8 spines; their second dorsal fin has spine and 12 or 13 rays; and, their pectoral fins are low on the sides and divided in two parts: the first is low and under the gills with 8 or 9 long free rays and the second is in the upper section with 14 to 16 rays. Their free pectoral rays serve as feelers and scoops in the feeding process. Their pelvic fins are far behind the pectoral fins and slightly preceding the second dorsal fin. They have 31 to 37 gill rakers. Their body is covered with rough scales. Their lateral line extends into the caudal fin branching into each lobe.
The Yellow Bobo is a non-migratory species found over sandy and muddy bottoms in bays, estuaries, and river mouths, and along sandy beaches at depths up to 45 m (148 feet. They reach a maximum of 45 cm (18 inches) in length. They feed on mobile benthic invertebrates. The Yellow Bobo 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.
In Mexican waters the Yellow Bobo is are found in all waters of the Pacific with the exception that they are absent from the extreme northern portions of the Sea of Cortez.
The Yellow Bobo is easily confused with the Blue Bobo, Polydactylus approximans (5 or 6 free pectoral rays; overall bluish appearance).
From a conservation perspective the Yellow Bobo is currently considered to be of Least Concern, with stable, widely distributed populations. They are relatively small in stature, not abundant, and of limited interest to most. However, when available they are considered an excellent food fish.