top minnow
Belonesox belizanus
A slender predatory fish with a pointed beak, living in freshwater or brackish canals from Mexico to Costa Rica. Reaches 20 cm.
Also called: barrigudinho-bicudo, picudito, Pike killifish
- maximum
- 20 cm
who is the top minnow
Fish of the family Poeciliidae, slender and elongated, reaching 20 cm. It lives in vegetated canals and poorly oxygenated waters, fresh or brackish, with up to 40 parts per thousand of salt. It occurs from Mexico to Costa Rica, from the San Julián lagoon near Veracruz to Central America, including Belize, Guatemala and Nicaragua. It is a fish predator and has commercial use, including for aquariums. It was introduced to fresh water in Florida, in the United States.
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 top minnow.
fun facts
- It was used in medical research in the past.
identification
Slender, elongated fish with long jaws that form a pointed, prominent beak. The scales are very small and numerous. The long beak and slender body set it apart from the other livebearers of the region, which have short snouts. It lives in vegetated canals, in fresh or brackish water, and reaches 20 cm, a large size for a livebearer.
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.
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.
where found
Native from Mexico to Nicaragua, including Belize and Guatemala, and introduced to fresh water in Florida, in the United States. It is not recorded in Brazil.
Habitat: Vegetated canals, in fresh or brackish water, with low oxygen.
rules for the top minnow
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
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.
It has a pointed beak, but it is not dangerous. Handle it with a wet hand and release it promptly into the water.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00832, b = 3.16; 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
—
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.
- scientific FishBase: Belonesox belizanus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Belonesox belizanusNames by country and language.