Large armored catfish of the Amazon basin, up to 70 cm. In Mexico and Puerto Rico it is exotic and considered a potential pest, so it should not be released outside its basin.
Also called: cascudo-vermiculado, plecóstoma rayado, vermiculated sailfin catfish
The cascudo-vermiculado belongs to the family Loricariidae, with an elongated, flattened body covered in bony plates. It reaches 70 cm and 1.3 kg. It lives in várzea lakes (floodplain lakes), swamps and cavas (oxbow lagoons), in water poor in oxygen, where it depends on surface air for long periods: its enlarged stomach works as an accessory breathing organ. It is native to the Madeira River basin, in Bolivia and Brazil. It has commercial and aquarium use. Outside its natural range, it was introduced to Mexico and Puerto Rico, where it is exotic and considered a potential pest.
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 vermiculated sailfin catfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
It has an enlarged stomach, which works as an accessory breathing organ, and breathes air facultatively.
how to recognize it
identification
Elongated, flattened armored catfish covered in bony plates, with a tall, sail-shaped dorsal fin and winding marks along the body, which give it the name vermiculado (wormy). It reaches 70 cm and 1.3 kg. It belongs to the same genus as the bodó (Pterygoplichthys pardalis), which is also in the catalog, and the two look very much alike, so check where it was caught.
how vermiculated 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.
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.
Native to the Madeira River basin, in Bolivia and Brazil. In Mexico and Puerto Rico it is exotic, introduced outside its natural range.
Habitat: Várzea lakes (floodplain lakes), swamps and cavas (oxbow lagoons), in water poor in oxygen.
native to the basins
Amazon
what the law says
rules for the vermiculated 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 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 to people. It is considered a potential pest outside its natural range, so never release it into a river from another basin.
calculator
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01778, b = 2.89; 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
—
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.
