Minimum size in Tocantins
30 cmTOTocantins-Araguaia
In Tocantins the yellow apapá may only be kept if it is 30 cm or longer.
Source: Portaria NATURATINS/GABIN nº 47/2026 (annexes amended by Portaria nº 105/2026)
catalog
Pristigasteridae · predator
amazon pellona
Pellona castelnaeana
Freshwater
Freshwater relative of sardines and herrings, silver and gold, that hunts in schools and leaps often.
Also called: apapá, apapá-amarelo
- common size
- 40–65 cm
- maximum
- 80 cm
- common weight
- 1.5–4 kg
- record/max.
- 7.1 kg
- depth
- 0.5–6 m
- ideal water
- 26–30 °C
overview
who is the amazon pellona
The apapá is a large fish from the sardine family, adapted to freshwater. It lives in rivers and lakes of the Amazon and Araguaia-Tocantins, swimming in mid-water and at the surface, often in schools that corral small fish in eddies, river confluences and lake mouths. It strikes spoons, jigs and mid-water lures and fights with jumps. Its mouth is fragile and the fish easily comes off, so the drag must be moderate. It is also caught with nets and sold in regional markets. In sport fishing it is a good target on medium tackle while peacock bass are being sought.
fun facts
- It is a freshwater relative of the sea sardines and anchovies.
- The scales come off at a touch, typical of the family.
how to recognize it
identification
Tall, strongly flattened body, silver with a golden sheen and a serrated keel on the belly. Oblique mouth turned upward and large eye. No adipose fin; yellowish forked tail. The payara has large fangs and an adipose fin. The sardinhão (Pellona flavipinnis) looks very similar; the difference lies in scale and fin details.
how amazon pellona 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.
distribution
open on the large map where found
Amazon main channel and tributaries, and the Araguaia and Tocantins rivers.
Habitat: Mid-water of rivers and lakes, eddies, river confluences, lake mouths and beach shorelines.
native to the basins
AmazonTocantins-Araguaia
states
Amazonas, Pará, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Rondônia, Amapá, Roraima, Acre, Goiás
when to fish
best season
time of yearbest: Jul–Oct
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Falling water and dry season, July to October, concentrate the schools.
best time of day
Daytime, with peaks at dawn and dusk. Active by day, with feeding boils more frequent early and late in the afternoon.
what affects the amazon pellona
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
cold and cold fronts
A cold snap (friagem) reduces hunting.
atmospheric pressure
Stable weather helps.
moon
Little effect.
rain
Dirty water reduces strikes.
water level
Falling water concentrates schools at lake mouths and river confluences.
noise
Moderate; a school in a feeding boil sinks if the boat arrives right on top of it.
wind
Little effect.
depth
Surface and mid-water.
how to fish
- rod
- 6'0'', medium action, 12 to 25 lb
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- 3000 spinning reel or 100 to 200 baitcasting reel
- line
- braid 20 to 30 lb
- leader
- fluorocarbon 30 lb
- hook
- treble hooks 1/0 to 2/0
lures
- spoon 15 to 25 g
- feather jig 1/4 to 1/2 oz
- mid-water 9 to 11 cm
- prop bait
- small shad
natural baits
- live sardine or piaba
accessories
- alicate
tip from an angler
The mouth is fragile: loosen the drag and avoid violent hook sets. Look for the feeding boils and cast to the edge of the school.
rules for the amazon pellona
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 national list (Portaria GM/MMA 1.667/2026).
Minimum size: 40 cm (max. 55 cm)
GOTocantins-Araguaia
Source: IN Semad-GO nº 17/2026, Annex I, Araguaia-Tocantins basin (on-site consumption only; zero transport)
Minimum size: 30 cm
TOTocantins-Araguaia
Source: Portaria Naturatins nº 47/2026, Annex I, as amended by Portaria nº 105/2026
Minimum size: 50 cm
GOTOPAMAMTTocantins-Araguaia
Source: INIs MPA/MMA nº 12/2011 (Araguaia) and 13/2011 (Tocantins), minimum size annexes
piracema closures in the basins where the species lives
Closed season in Goiás (state rule)
01/11 to 28/02GO
Allowed: Sport and guided fishing only in reservoirs, catch and release with barbless hooks (no keeping, transporting or eating). Subsistence: up to 5 kg per day, for household consumption only.
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.
Spawning closure (piracema) in the Araguaia River basin
01/11 to 28/02GOTOPAMT
Allowed: Recreational fishing only in reservoirs, with handline, rod, or spinning or baitcasting reel. Fish may only be eaten on site, not transported. Competitions prohibited. Subsistence: 3 kg + 1 fish. State rules (GO and TO) may be stricter.
Spawning closure (piracema) in the Tocantins and Gurupi river basins
01/11 to 28/02TOPAMAGO
Allowed: Recreational fishing only in reservoirs, with on-site consumption. Subsistence: 5 kg + 1 fish. State rules may be stricter.
Spawning closure (piracema) in Tocantins (state rule)
01/11 to 28/02TO
Allowed: In 2025/26: catch and release with barbless hooks and recreational fishing card; subsistence fishing on foot or from a rowboat, with simple pole or handline.
Source: Portaria Naturatins nº 244/2025 (2025/26 season); INIs MPA/MMA nº 12 and 13/2011
Closed season in the rivers of Marajó Island (PA)
01/01 to 30/04PA
Allowed: The same recreational-angler exceptions as in Portaria 48/2007 apply (handline or rod, 5 kg + 1 fish), unless a stricter state rule applies.
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007
Closed season in the Amazon basin in Amapá
15/11 to 15/03AP
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.
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007
Closed season in Roraima
01/03 to 30/06RR
Allowed: Subsistence fishing only.
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007
Border rivers MT/RO and MT/PA
05/11 to 28/02MTROPA
Allowed: See the exceptions in Portaria 48/2007 and the state rules for each bank.
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007
catch and release
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.
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.
It loses scales and dies easily. Release it without lifting it out of the water, holding it by the mouth with pliers.
in the kitchen
Light flesh with many fine bones. Eaten fried or in stew in regional markets.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00955, b = 3.08; FishBase (bayesiano, espécie + forma do corpo da família)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.
- scientific FishBase — Pellona castelnaeana (ficha da espécie)Names, distribution, biology, length-weight relationship and references. Page checked on October 13, 2026.
- official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026 — Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)Most recent national list. The species is not on it (search by scientific name in the text published in the DOU, checked on October 13, 2026).
- official ICMBio/SALVE — Ficha de Pellona castelnaeana (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)ICMBio national assessment, published in 2025. DOI checked on Crossref.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Pellona castelnaeana (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 04/11/2020)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- scientific Whitehead, P. J. P. (1985). FAO species catalogue. Vol. 7. Clupeoid fishes of the world (suborder Clupeoidei). Part 1. FAO Fisheries Synopsis 125(7/1). Roma: FAO.Includes the family Pristigasteridae (genus Pellona).
- scientific de Pinna, M. C. C.; Di Dario, F. (2003). Pristigasteridae (pristigasterids). In: Reis, R. E.; Kullander, S. O.; Ferraris Jr., C. J. (orgs.). Check List of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, p. 43–45.Printed book chapter; the URL is the bibliographic record on FishBase, which cites the chapter for the species.
