catalog Hemiodontidae · omnivore

halfline hemiodus

Hemiodus semitaeniatus

Fish from Amazonian rivers, such as the Tapajós and Madeira, and from the Paraná basin. It is caught for trade and sold for the aquarium.

Also called: bananinha, peixe-banana, piau-banana, halfline hemiodus

forecast for halfline hemiodus where found

Scientific illustration of Halfline hemiodus

maximum: 20 cm

overview

who is the halfline hemiodus

The bananinha belongs to the family Hemiodontidae and reaches 20 cm. It lives between the bottom and midwater of freshwater rivers in tropical climate. It occurs in the Tapajós, Madeira and Capim basins in Brazil, the Paraná, the Essequibo in Guyana, and the Orinoco in Venezuela. It is oviparous, meaning it lays eggs, and pairs form before spawning. In fishing it has commercial use and is 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 halfline hemiodus; in the meantime, see the similar species.

fun facts

Pairs form before spawning.

how to recognize it

identification

Elongated, silvery fish, as is common in the family Hemiodontidae. The scientific name, semitaeniatus, means half stripe. It reaches 20 cm, more than the cruzeiro-do-sul (Hemiodus gracilis), which reaches 16.3. Size is the simplest trait to tell the two apart; both occur in rivers such as the Tapajós and Madeira.

how halfline hemiodus 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.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

Occurs in the Tapajós, Madeira and Capim basins in Brazil, and the Paraná, as well as rivers in Guyana and Venezuela, in the Essequibo and Orinoco basins. In Brazil there are also records in the Pantanal and the Araguaia.

Habitat: Between the bottom and midwater of freshwater rivers in a tropical climate.

native to the basins

AmazonTocantins-AraguaiaParaguay (Pantanal)Paraná

what the law says

rules for the halfline hemiodus

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 the Paraná River basin

01/11 to 28/02SPPRMGGOMSDF

Allowed: Recreational fishing only for non-native species and hybrids (peacock bass, tilapia, black bass, carp, croaker, etc.; piauçu remains prohibited), with handline, simple pole, or rod with spinning or baitcasting reel, up to 10 kg + 1 fish. In rivers, from shore only; in reservoirs, from a boat or from shore. Prohibited: floodplain lakes, aquatic-animal bait, within 1,500 m of dams and waterfalls, and within 500 m of confluences. Tournaments only in reservoirs and only with non-native species.

Source: IN IBAMA nº 25/2009

Spawning closure (piracema) in Minas Gerais (state rule)

01/11 to 28/02MG

Allowed: Only exotic or hybrid species, 3 kg + 1 fish per day, with handline, rod, simple pole, or spinning or baitcasting reel. Nets prohibited. Keep the minimum distances from dams and reservoirs.

Source: Portarias IEF nº 154/2011 (São Francisco), 155/2011 (East) and 156/2011 (Grande/Paranaíba)

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.

Source: IN Semad-GO nº 17/2026, arts. 8º to 11

Spawning closure (piracema) in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul

05/11 to 28/02MS

Allowed: Subsistence fishing by riverside residents and authorized scientific fishing. Decree 15.166/2019 (art. 11, §5) allows catch and release only in February and only in the channels of the Paraguay and Paraná rivers. For the rest of the period, not even catch and release is allowed. Check the Imasul portaria for each season.

Source: Decreto estadual MS nº 15.166/2019, art. 11; IN IBAMA nº 201/2008

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.

Source: IN Interministerial MAPA/MMA nº 10/2017; Resolução Cepesca-MT nº 1/2026; Lei estadual MT nº 9.096/2009, arts. 19-A and 27 (Leis 12.434/2024 and 13.159/2025)

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.

Source: IN Interministerial MPA/MMA nº 12/2011

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.

Source: IN Interministerial MPA/MMA nº 13/2011

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.

No spines or venom. Handle it with wet hands and take the hook out carefully.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

total length (cm)

Length-weight relationship W = a·L^b (a = 0.01072, b = 3.09; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa pelo gênero e formato do corpo)). 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.