Large armored catfish, its body covered with bony plates and a sucker mouth under the head, with which it scrapes algae and detritus from logs, rocks and the bottom. It breathes air when the water has little oxygen, which lets it live in shallow, warm lakes in the dry season. Heavily eaten in Amazonas: it arrives alive at markets and becomes caldeirada or grilled bodó. It is caught by hand, with gillnets and cast nets, especially in the dry season. Released outside the Amazon by aquarium owners, it became an invasive species in several countries of Asia and the Americas.
fun facts
It is sold alive at markets in Manaus, because it survives for hours out of water, breathing air.
It became a pest in rivers and lakes in Asia, where aquarists released it.
how to recognize it
identification
Body flattened underneath and covered with rough bony plates. Tall, long dorsal fin, like a sail. Brown background with rounded dark spots in a jaguar pattern, including on the fins. Sucker mouth under the head and strong spines on the pectoral fins.
how amazon sailfin catfish fishing looks
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.
A fish caught by hand and in nets; on the hook it appears by chance. Use a glove: the plates and spines cut.
what the law says
rules for the amazon sailfin catfish
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 national list (Ordinance GM/MMA 1.667/2026). Outside the Amazon it is an invasive species in several countries.
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.
Very hardy. Never release bodó outside the Amazon: it is an invader.
in the kitchen
Firm, tasty meat; in the Amazon it is made into caldeirada (fish stew), or bodó grilled over embers, opened along the armor plates.
calculator
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01862, b = 2.93; FishBase). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
—
sources and references
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.
