Pseudoplatystoma tigrinum
Sorubim with a tiger-like pattern, stripes forming loops on the flank. Night hunter of shorelines and lake mouths.
Also called: caparari, surubim-tigre, pintado-tigre
The caparari is one of the Amazon's sorubims, with a long, flat, spade-shaped head and a pattern of dark stripes forming loops and bows along the flank. At night it hunts fish such as sarapó, curimatãs and jaraquis along grassy shorelines, lake mouths, beaches and channels. By day it stays on the bottom of pools and channels. It makes spawning migrations at the start of the high water. It is a highly valued commercial fish and is also sought in sport fishing, with natural bait on the bottom or mid-water lures at night. It fights with strong runs and head shakes.
Long, flat head, grey to olive body with dark vertical stripes that curve and join to form loops, like tiger skin; white belly. The Amazon sorubim has straight, narrow stripes alternating with pale bands and no loops. The cachara of the Pantanal has straight bars, and the pintado has spots. In the Amazon, where both sorubims occur together, the loops identify the caparari.
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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 of the Solimões-Amazon and large whitewater tributaries such as the Madeira, Purus and Juruá, including the upper Madeira and Guaporé.
Habitat: Shorelines with floating grass, lake and igarapé (creek) mouths, beaches and channels; deep pools during the day.
native to the basins
states
Amazonas, Pará, Acre, Rondônia, Mato Grosso, Roraima, Amapá
Falling water and dry season, July to October, concentrate fish in channels and lake mouths.
Nighttime. Hunts from dusk until dawn, often in shallow shorelines. By day it only takes bait on the channel bottom.
A cold snap (friagem) reduces night hunting.
A pressure drop before rain tends to trigger it.
Dark nights produce more at the shallows; on full-moon nights it stays deeper.
Little effect.
Draining lake: wait for the fish at the lake mouth, where the water flows out.
Moderate; a strong light aimed at the water scares it off.
Little effect.
Shallow shoreline at night, 1 to 3 m; channel bottom by day.
lures
natural baits
accessories
At dusk, position yourself at the mouth of the draining lake and leave the live bait on the bottom at the water's passage.
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 (Portaria GM/MMA 1.667/2026).
In Amazonas the caparari has a spawning closed season from Nov 15 to Mar 15. Riverine residents may take up to 5 kg a day for subsistence. Enforcement is by Ipaam.
Source: Resolução CEMAAM nº 18/2014 (AM)
In Acre and the Madeira basin in Rondônia, the caparari is on the list of species with fishing banned from Nov 15 to Mar 15.
Ipaam enforces a minimum size of 80 cm for the caparari. Confirm the rule with the state agency (Ipaam).
Until Dec 31, 2028, caparari caught in rivers of Mato Grosso may not be transported, stored or sold. Recreational anglers may only practice catch and release.
Source: Lei estadual nº 12.434/2024 (MT), arts. 19-B and 19-C of Lei 9.096/2009
Annual closed season in AC for the species in Annex II: dourada, piraíba, pirapitinga, caparari, aruanã, jaraqui, mapará, sardine, matrinxã and pacu. On the Acre River, the closed season applies to all species (IN IBAMA 205/2008).
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007; IN IBAMA nº 205/2008 (Acre River)
On the Madeira River, the closed season protects pescada, surubim, caparari, pirapitinga and jatuarana. In the Guaporé-Mamoré sub-basin it applies to all species, except those listed in the rule.
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007
State closed season for caparari and surubim in Amazonas, published by Ipaam.
Source: Resolução Cemaam nº 21/2015 (confirmed only by press reports)
Transport, storage and sale are fully prohibited for 5 years from Jan 1, 2024 for: cachara, caparari, dorado, jaú, matrinchã (Brycon spp.), pintado/surubim (Pseudoplatystoma spp.), piraíba, piraputanga, pirarara, arapaima (pirarucu), trairão and peacock bass (tucunaré, Cichla spp.). For recreational anglers: catch and release only. These 12 species may not even be eaten on site, since the 2 kg or 1 fish limit excludes the art. 19-B list. The law cites jaú as Zungaro zungaro; we also include the Pantanal jaú (Z. jahu) out of caution. The list may still change: § 2 (exotic and predatory species), § 3 (review through study) and the 3-year assessment planned for 2027. A TJMT news report of Jun 2, 2026 confirms the 12 prohibited species. The STF denied a preliminary injunction in the ADIs against the law in 2024; we found no merits ruling.
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 8/1996, art. 5º (Amazon basin, except Araguaia-Tocantins)
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
Watch out for the spines on the pectoral and dorsal fins. Hold it by the mouth with a glove and support the body; don't hang it by the head.
White, firm, boneless flesh, among the best in the Amazon: fried steaks, moqueca, stew.
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00589, b = 3.1; FishBase (estimado pela forma do corpo da família)). 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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