Brachyplatystoma platynemum
Amazon catfish with flat, ribbon-like barbels reaching mid-body. A large channel migrator, heavy and persistent in the fight.
Also called: babão, barba-chata, barbado, bagre
Large migratory catfish of the family Pimelodidae, a relative of the dourada and piramutaba. It lives in the main channel of whitewater rivers in the Amazon and Orinoco basins, in deep water, and makes long upstream migrations to spawn, in the Orinoco during the falling water, from September to January. In Colombia there are records of up to 107 cm standard length (127 cm total), and growth estimates point to fish of 13 to 16 kg. It is a commercial fishery species in the Amazon: according to the Colombian Libro Rojo, almost all the babão landed in Leticia comes from Brazilian waters. In sport fishing it is caught on the bottom, with fish bait, in pools and channel edges. In Colombia it is on the national red list as Vulnerable and has a minimum size.
Flattened head, projecting upper jaw, tiny eyes set far back on the head, and very long, flattened, ribbon-like barbels reaching mid-body. Grey to bluish-grey body, pale belly, forked caudal fin with filament tips. The ribbon barbels tell the babão apart from the dourada and piramutaba; the barbado (Pinirampus), which also has ribbon barbels, is silver and has a very long, low adipose fin, much bigger than the babão's.
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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.
Main channel and large whitewater tributaries of the Amazon basin, from Peru and Bolivia to Pará, and the Orinoco basin (Colombia and Venezuela).
Habitat: Main channel of whitewater rivers, deep pools and channel edges with current.
native to the basins
states
Amazonas, Pará, Acre, Rondônia, Mato Grosso
With the river falling and dry (July to November), catfish concentrate in the channel. Spawning migrations vary by river: in the Orinoco, during the falling water; in the upper Putumayo, in July and August.
Night and twilight. Feeds more at night and at dusk; by day it stays on the channel bottom.
Cold spells reduce activity for a short time.
Little effect on the channel bottom.
Catfish anglers prefer dark nights; effect not measured.
Little effect; muddy water is its habitat.
Falling water and drought: fish concentrate in the channel and pools.
Not very sensitive; stays on the bottom.
Little effect.
Bottom, 5 to 20 m, in pools and channel edges.
natural baits
accessories
Fish bait on the bottom, at the channel edge and at the mouth of the pools. With a circle hook, don't yank: let the line tighten and work the fight unhurried.
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 (Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026). In Colombia, the Libro Rojo de peces dulceacuícolas (2012) lists it as Vulnerable (VU), due to declining catches.
In the Colombian Amazon basin (Caquetá and Amazonas), the minimum catch size for babão is 70 cm standard length (tail excluded).
Source: Acuerdo INDERENA nº 075/1989, in the AUNAP minimum size table in force
In the Orinoco basin, in Colombia, the minimum catch size for babão is 62 cm standard length.
Source: Resolución INDERENA nº 2086/1981, in the AUNAP minimum size table in force
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: 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
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
Allowed: Subsistence fishing only.
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007
Allowed: See the exceptions in Portaria 48/2007 and the state rules for each bank.
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007
Large skinned fish: don't hang it by the mouth or gill cover. Support the body horizontally, wet, remove the circle hook with pliers and release it quickly, facing the current.
Light flesh of a skinned fish, sold as steaks and fillets in Amazon markets.
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00589, b = 3.1; FishBase). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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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.
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