Small armored catfish, up to 17 cm, from the rapids of the Xingu River. It is caught for the trade and the aquarium, but is hardly a target for sport fishing.
The cascudo-do-Xingu belongs to the family Loricariidae, small and elongated, reaching 17.1 cm. It lives in shallow rapids of the Xingu River, over flat stones and coarse sand. By day it hides under the stones. At night it comes out to scrape algae from the rocks, mainly diatoms, which make up most of its food. It is also known by the codes L12 and L13. It has commercial and aquarium use, and is hardly a target for 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 l12; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
It has a long intestine, nearly 11 times its body length, typical of herbivores.
how to recognize it
identification
Armored catfish with an elongated body, brown spots over the whole body and an orange band along the edge of the dorsal and caudal fins. It has fine dark stripes on the dorsal fin membranes, which break up into spots in larger specimens. It is told apart from the cascudo-listrado (Peckoltia vittata), from the same river, by the orange band and the brown spots, while the other has a dark mark on the head.
how l12 fishing looks
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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.
Habitat: Shallow rapids, with a bottom of flat stones and coarse sand.
native to the basins
Amazon
calendar and clock
when to fish
best time of day
Nighttime. It hides under the stones by day and comes out at night to feed.
what the law says
rules for the l12
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
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.
Not dangerous. It is small and has plates on the body: hold it by the trunk, carefully, and return it to the river quickly.
calculator
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01413, b = 2.97; 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.
