Flattened catfish of estuaries and coastal waters, from Venezuela to northern Brazil. The female carries the eggs attached to her belly, and the species has commercial and aquarium use.
Also called: bagre-banjo, riqui-riqui, bagre roncador sietebarbas, sevenbarbed banjo
The bagre-banjo is of the family Aspredinidae and reaches 22 cm, with a common size of 15 cm. It is a bottom-dwelling species that lives in coastal waters with mud and sand, in estuaries and flooded river areas, from fresh to brackish water. It occurs from Venezuela to northern Brazil. The female carries the eggs attached to the underside of her body, which seems to help oxygenate them in the mud. It has commercial use and is also sold for the aquarium.
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 sevenbarbed banjo.
fun facts
It is caught in stake traps set in tidal mud.
how to recognize it
identification
Flattened body, like a banjo, with a broad head and trunk and seven long, threadlike barbels around the mouth, as the Spanish name sietebarbas says. The long barbels and flat shape help identify it among small estuary catfish. The female carries the eggs attached to her belly.
how sevenbarbed banjo 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.
From Venezuela to northern Brazil, in coastal waters, estuaries and lower reaches of rivers that flow to the sea.
Habitat: Mud and sand bottoms in coastal waters, estuaries and flooded river areas.
native to the basins
AmazonWestern Northeast Atlantic
coast
North Coastcoastal
what the law says
rules for the sevenbarbed banjo
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 fishing from a boat or from shore with handline or rod, up to 5 kg or 1 fish. Transport only within the municipality. Competitions prohibited.
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 bottom-dwelling fish: take the hook out carefully and release it. It poses no danger to anglers.
calculator
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00115, b = 3.08; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). 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.
