carachi-amarelo
Orestias luteus
Titicaca carachi from Peru and Bolivia, up to 17 cm and endangered. Not a rod-and-reel fish, but it turns up in commercial fishing and the aquarium trade.
Also called: carachi-amarelo, carachi amarillo, carachi
- maximum
- 17 cm
who is the carachi-amarelo
The yellow carachi is a small freshwater killifish of the family Cyprinodontidae, reaching 17 cm. It lives in the Lake Titicaca basin in Peru and Bolivia, at high altitude in cold water, 5 to 15 °C. It stays near the bottom and also in the midwater, without migrating. It is endangered, has commercial fishing, and is sold for aquariums, where it is hard to keep. It is not a target of recreational angling.
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 carachi-amarelo; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Titicaca carachi, without pelvic fins, like the other members of the genus Orestias. The name refers to its yellowish color, and size helps set it apart from the species sharing the lake: at up to 17 cm, it is larger than Agassiz's carachi (15 cm) and smaller than Tschudi's carachi (20 cm) and Cuvier's carachi (27 cm).
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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.
where found
Lake Titicaca basin, in Peru and Bolivia, in high-altitude freshwater.
Habitat: High-altitude lake, near the bottom and in the midwater, in the Titicaca basin.
rules for the carachi-amarelo
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.
No danger to anglers. Because it is endangered, release it right away with wet hands, and avoid taking the fish home.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00389, b = 3.12; 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.
- scientific FishBase: Orestias luteus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Orestias luteusNames by country and language.
