Aracu-caneta, a piau from the central Amazon, of the Negro and Orinoco basins. It has commercial and aquarium use and almost never shows up on the fishing line.
Also called: aracu-caneta, piau-vara, anostomus de banda negra, mije
The aracu-caneta is of the family Anostomidae and reaches nearly 29 cm standard length. It lives from the bottom to midwater in the central Amazon basin, in the Negro and Orinoco basins, and also in Peru and Venezuela. Pairs spawn in dense vegetation. It has commercial use and is also sold for the aquarium. Since it is rarely seen on the line of rod anglers, it matters more to the fish trade than to sport fishers.
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 aracu-caneta; in the meantime, see the similar species.
how to recognize it
identification
Elongated, anostomid-type body with a small mouth at the tip of the snout and incisor teeth. The Spanish name, anostomus de banda negra, and the scientific name, taeniata, point to a dark stripe along the body. It reaches almost 29 cm, much more than the anostomus (Anostomus anostomus, 16 cm) and the piau-de-três-manchas (Pseudanos trimaculatus, 19 cm), which live in the same region.
how aracu-caneta fishing looks
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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.
Central Amazon basin, in the Negro and Orinoco basins, also occurring in Peru and Venezuela.
Habitat: Rivers of the central Amazon, from the bottom to midwater, where pairs spawn in dense vegetation.
native to the basins
Amazon
what the law says
rules for the aracu-caneta
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.
Small-mouthed fish: take the hook out in the water and release it quickly.
calculator
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01047, b = 3.09; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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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.
