Spawning closure (piracema) in the southern basins (RS and SC, outside the Uruguay)
01/11 to 31/01RSSC
Allowed: Recreational fishing from a boat or from shore, with a single hook, one gear per angler, up to 5 kg.
Source: IN IBAMA nº 197/2008
catalog
Loricariidae · detritivore
cascudo-barriga-miúda
Rineloricaria microlepidogaster
Small armored catfish, up to 19 cm, from the Patos Lagoon basin in Rio Grande do Sul. It has commercial and aquarium use, and is hardly a target for sport fishing.
Also called: cascudo-barriga-miúda, vieja
- maximum
- 19 cm
overview
who is the cascudo-barriga-miúda
The cascudo-barriga-miúda belongs to the family Loricariidae and is a small, elongated armored catfish, reaching 19.3 cm. It lives in rivers with slow or fast current, in clear or brown water, over rock, sand or mud bottoms. It occurs in the Patos Lagoon basin in Rio Grande do Sul, and has also been reported in the Paraná basin in Argentina. It even turns up in polluted areas. It has commercial and aquarium use, but little importance in sport fishing.
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 cascudo-barriga-miúda.
how to recognize it
identification
Slender, elongated armored catfish, its belly covered in plates and spots spread over all the fins. It reaches 19.3 cm. It lives in the Patos Lagoon basin in Rio Grande do Sul, in rivers with rock, sand or mud bottoms. The plated belly and spotted fins are the traits that set it apart from other armored catfish of the same genus in the region.
how cascudo-barriga-miúda 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.
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
open on the large map where found
Occurs in the Patos Lagoon basin in Rio Grande do Sul, and has also been reported in the Paraná basin in Argentina.
Habitat: Rivers with slow or fast current, with rock, sand or mud bottoms.
native to the basins
South Atlantic
rules for the cascudo-barriga-miúda
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
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.
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.
Not dangerous. It has plates on the body that can hurt your hand: hold it carefully and return it to the water quickly.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00457, b = 3.1; 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
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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: Rineloricaria microlepidogaster (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Rineloricaria microlepidogasterNames by country and language.
- official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026: Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.