Catfish, Gafftopsail
(Bagre marinus)
Species > Gafftopsail Catfish
The gafftopsail catfish is very common in Florida, especially on the gulf side of the state, inhabiting beaches, canals, mangroves, under docks, just about anywhere inshore and sometimes found in brackish waters.
Often confused with the hardhead catfish because they are the same silvery-grey color and often found in the same schools, this species is easily identified by its unique large, serrated dorsal fin that stands tall on its back like a sail. The gafftopsail also differs from the hardhead in its feeding habits; the gafftopsail feed throughout the water column on crabs, shrimp and crustaceans where the hardhead feeds off the bottom.
The skin of this catfish has no scales. The chin has 2 barbels and there is a very long barbel on each side of its mouth. The average gafftopsail is around 12 inches and 1 pound but it is not uncommon in Florida to catch one in the 20 inch range weighing 2 pounds. The largest gafftopsail ever recorded was 27 inches and 9 pounds. Rarely targeted by anglers, this fish is considered a nuisance species, biting any bait in it's path then presenting the angler with a challenge getting the fish off their line without getting poisoned or stung. The only good thing about catching this species is the angler will experience a good fight from this species, especially large specimens.
It takes a big fish to even consider tackling this toxic fish! The only predators we found of the gafftopsail are bull and tiger sharks.
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| Juvenile gafftopsails can be found in the surf. These babies were caught off the beach in Fort Myers by some children with a hand net. |
The gafftopsail is a mouthbreeding species with the male holding the 1 inch diameter eggs in its mouth until they hatch. The male does not eat until the eggs hatch in about 65 days. Hatchlings emerge at about 2 inches long and they will stay with the male until they are almost double this size.
Caution: the pectoral and dorsal fins are poisonous, a sting from this catfish can cause horrible pain that lasts a long time. This species is difficult to handle as it excretes a toxic slim coating from its skin when caught - always wear gloves when removing your hook and watch out for the spines.
Eat Gafftopsail Catfish?
The gafftopsail is said to be good eating after cutting out the lateral red line but most anglers toss the fish back due to the slimy mess the fish creates after being reeled in. If you are interested in trying this fish, here is a video that shows you how in detail.
This video is a little slow, you can move ahead to the 2 minute mark where he starts filleting the catfish.
Avoid Getting Stung!
You can prevent getting stung by avoiding the pectoral and dorsal fin spines. Do not touch the toxic slim that is emitted from the fish and rinse off your fishing gear that has been slimed. Always wear gloves when handling this catfish.
Human skin can be easily penetrated by the sharp dorsal and pectoral fins of this species because they lock into a rigid extended position when threatened. Once punctured you will feel an intense throbbing sting that lasts for 20 minutes or longer. The wound will first appear white then it turns a bluish color then later turns red and become swollen. Some people may experience muscle spasms, sweating and bleeding from the wound. A lingering pain, although slight, has been reported to last for 6 months!
To treat a gafftopsail sting, soak the wound in hot water. If a portion of the spine has broken off in your skin, seek medical attention to remove any remaining fragments, do not pull it out yourself.
