7 days in Mazatlan

[MuskieBait]

The trip took place from April 18 to April 26, 2015. We had 7 days in total and we spent most of our waking hours fishing and eating. At the beginning of the trip, I spent a few evenings grading Grade 10 Science ISU's. It was exhausting to say the least to mark assignments after a whole day of fishing. But even through that, I caught 33 new species in the 7 days...with many missed opportunities and heartbreaks. I will return to Mexico as soon as possible...this was just the first blood drawn...

As usual, these are the links to my blog posts.

http://muskiebaitadventures.blogspot...lan-day-0.html

http://muskiebaitadventures.blogspot...lan-day-1.html

http://muskiebaitadventures.blogspot...lan-day-2.html

http://muskiebaitadventures.blogspot...lan-day-3.html

http://muskiebaitadventures.blogspot...lan-day-4.html

http://muskiebaitadventures.blogspot...lan-day-5.html

http://muskiebaitadventures.blogspot...lan-day-6.html

http://muskiebaitadventures.blogspot...lan-day-7.html

This was my first ever species from Mexico...

Flathead Sea Catfish (Notarius planiceps) - Species #430



Raucous Grunt (Haemulopsis leuciscus) - Species #431



Yellowstripe Grunt (Haemulopsis axillaris) - Species #432



Striped Weakfish (Cynoscion reticulates) - Species #433



Spotted Rose Snapper (Lutjanus guttatus) - Species #434



Green Jack (Caranx caballus) - Species #435



Beaubrummel (Stegastes flavilatus) - Species #436



Rivulated Mutton Hamlet (Alphestes multiguttatus) - Species #437



Burrito Grunt (Anisotremus interruptus) - Species #438



Starry Grouper (Epinephelus labriformis) - Species #439



Mexican Barracuda (Sphyraena ensis) - Species #440



Yellowspotted Grunt (Haemulon flaviguttatum) - Species #441



Brassy Grunt (Microlepidotus brevipinnis) - Species #442 (Standard length vs. body depth = 2.4)



Finescale Triggerfish (Balistes polylepis) - Species #443



Yet to be identified catfish - Species #444



At the end of my first fishing day, I caught my 16th new species from Mexico...the Pacific Dog Snapper.

Pacific Dog Snapper (Lutjanus novemfasciatus) - Species #445



Pacific Mutton Hamlet (Alphestes immaculatus) - Species #446



Dow's Mojarra (Eucinostomus dowii) - Species #447



This was a species that I caught but no one else did...

Pacific Sleeper (Gobiomorus maculatus) - Species #448



Largemouth Blenny (Labrisomus xanti) - Species #449



Chameleon Wrasse (Halichoeres dispilus) - Species #450



Panamic Sergeant Major (Abudefduf troschelii) - Species #451



My favourite fish of the entire trip...because I've been trying for years to catch one from Hawaii and especially in Florida...

Longfin Yellowtail (Seriola rivoliana) - Species #452 (aka Almaco Jack)



Orangeside Triggerfish (Sufflamen verres) - Species #453



Pacific Graysby (Cephalopholis panamensis) - Species #454



Yellow Snapper (Lutjanus argentiventris) - Species #455



Pacific Crevalle Jack (Caranx caninus) - Species #456



Shortjaw Leatherjacket (Oligoplites refulgens) - Species #457



Pacific Red Snapper (Lutjanus peru) - Species #458



Cortez Rainbow Wrasse (Thalassoma lucasanum) - Species #459



Panamic Frillfin (Bathygobius ramosus) - Species #460



Cortez Damselfish (Stegastes rectifraenum) - Species #461



And the last fish of the trip...

Mexican Night Sergeant (Abudefduf declivifrons) - Species #462



And here's A LOT of food ...

[Marker]

Awesome, I am definately adding that to my list below the Dry Tortugas.

When I was in Florida we called fish #430 a Hardhead catfish, I beleive the Flathead does not have a forked tail?

I could be wrong but I would take a guess at a 'White Catfish' for pic #444?


Great pics, thanks for posting.

[MuskieBait]

Awesome, I am definately adding that to my list below the Dry Tortugas.

When I was in Florida we called fish #430 a Hardhead catfish, I beleive the Flathead does not have a forked tail?

I could be wrong but I would take a guess at a 'White Catfish' for pic #444?

Great pics, thanks for posting.

The fish you are thinking about are not saltwater catfishes. Check the latin names I've labelled for each of the fish next to their common names. That's why they are there because using common names is often confusing. The two catfish I caught from Mazatlan belong to the family Ariinae (Sea Catfishes). The two species you are suggesting, Flathead Catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) and White Catfish (Ameiurus catus), both belongs to the family Ictaluridae (North American freshwater catfishes). Although White Catfish can tolerate slightly brackish environment, they are not found in high salinity.

Mazatlan is in the Eastern Central Pacific while Florida is in the Western Central Atlantic. Different ocean, different species.

The simple facts that both of these catfish were 1) caught in Mexico, 2) caught in saltwater and 3) caught in the Pacific rules out any chance they can belong to Ictaluridae.

Hardhead Sea Catfish (Ariopsis felis), as a Sea Catfish, does belong to Ariinae. I've caught them and the Gafftopsail Catfish in Florida as well. However, there are no Hardhead Catfish in Mexico. Different ocean, different species in this case.

There are sister species between the two oceans thanks the the Isthmus of Panama. Before the isthmus formed, fish could move between the Pacific and the Atlantic. After the isthmus formed, sister species evolved in separate oceans.

#444 is yet to be identified because there are a few species that looks very similar and the only real way to confirm their identity was to check the patches of teeth on their palate...which at this point, I can't really tell because I didn't take any pictures of their oral cavity...

[pand]

awesome stuff!!!

The food looks amazing!!

[JJL]

what an amazing variety of fish.
and the food looks unbelievable!