Acará from canals and swamps of the Guianas, the Orinoco and the upper Branco River. Of interest to the aquarium trade, and it turns up on the line now and then.
Also called: acará, acará-cascudo, vieja, black acara, common patwa
Acará is a small cichlid of the family Cichlidae, reaching 12.3 cm standard length. It lives in canals and swamps, where it tolerates water low in oxygen. It eats crustaceans and insects. Males are larger than females, and females mature at about 7 to 9 cm, at 20 to 25 g. Spawning happens at the start of the rains: about 700 eggs, laid on an open surface and guarded by the parents. It occurs in the upper Branco River in Brazil, in the Guianas and in the Orinoco basin in Venezuela. In fishing, it turns up on the line now and then and is sold for the aquarium trade.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the black acara; in the meantime, see the similar species.
how to recognize it
identification
Two dark spots on the flank, which give the scientific name, bimaculatum (two spots). Body compressed sideways, with a spiny dorsal fin, like other cichlids. Males are larger than females. To tell it apart from the big-eyed cichlid (Acaronia nassa), which occurs in the same Amazonian rivers, look at the eye: the big-eyed cichlid has a very large eye, while acará is recognized by its two spots.
how black acara fishing looks
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
Occurs in northern South America: in the upper Branco River in Brazil, in the Guianas and in the Orinoco basin in Venezuela, in canals and swamps.
Habitat: Freshwater canals and swamps, in areas with low oxygen.
native to the basins
Amazon
what the law says
rules for the black acara
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency. Conservation: Not on the Brazilian national list (Ministerial Ordinance GM/MMA No. 1.667/2026).
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
piracema closures in the basins where the species lives
Spawning closure (piracema) in Mato Grosso (all basins)
01/10 to 31/01MT
Allowed: All fishing modalities are prohibited in rivers, including catch and release (Law 9.096/2009, art. 19-A). Exceptions: subsistence fishing from shore (3 kg or 1 fish, no transport or sale) and scientific fishing. Law 13.159/2025 now allows licensed sport fishing in UHE/PCH hydropower reservoirs, natural lakes and border rivers, subject to a scientific study and a license from the environmental agency. We have not confirmed whether these licenses are already being issued.
Allowed: Recreational anglers with handline or rod, line and hook are outside the Annex II prohibitions, with a bag limit of 5 kg + 1 fish, unless a stricter state rule applies.
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
The dorsal fin spines can prick. Hold it by the body and remove the hook without forcing it.
calculator
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.02138, b = 3.05; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
—
sources and references
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.
