Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii
Golden-bodied migratory catfish, record holder for freshwater migration: it is born in the Andes and grows in the Amazon estuary.
Also called: dourada, dourada-de-couro
The dourada is a large, fast, migratory catfish, famous for the longest known migration of any freshwater fish. Adults spawn in headwater rivers near the Andes; larvae and young drift downstream to the Amazon estuary, and years later the adults swim back thousands of kilometers. It lives in deep channels of whitewater rivers and hunts fish in schools. It is an important commercial fish and suffers from fishing and from dams such as those on the Madeira, which cut its route. In sport fishing it fights with long runs along the channel and needs strong tackle. In 2023 the IUCN reclassified it as Vulnerable.
Elongated catfish body, golden to silver flanks and a dark grey head, quite different from the rest of the body. Pale belly, forked tail and short barbels. The piraíba is grey and heavier, and the juvenile has spots and a tail filament. The redtail catfish has a red tail. The sorubim and caparari have dark stripes or spots.
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.
Main channel of the Solimões-Amazon, Madeira, Purus, Juruá and other whitewater rivers, down to the estuary in Pará and Amapá. Also recorded in the Tocantins, where fishing is banned.
Habitat: Deep channels of whitewater rivers, river confluences, the bases of rapids and the estuary (juveniles).
native to the basins
states
Amazonas, Pará, Amapá, Acre, Rondônia, Roraima, Tocantins
Falling water and dry season, July to October, when schools move up the rivers and concentrate in the channels and below rapids.
Night and twilight. Feeds most in late afternoon and at night, but in a deep, murky channel it also bites during the day.
Little effect on the channel bottom.
Moderate effect.
Dark nights tend to produce more.
Little effect.
Falling water triggers the schools' upstream run.
Not very sensitive in large, murky rivers.
Little effect.
Channel bottom, 5 to 30 m.
lures
natural baits
accessories
In strong current use enough sinker to keep the bait on the channel bottom, and work the drift following the boat.
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). Banned in the Tocantins. Dams on the Madeira block part of the migration route.
In Tocantins the dourada (leather dourada) is on the list of species with fishing banned at any size. If you hook one, release it.
Source: Portaria NATURATINS/GABIN nº 47/2026, Annex III (as amended by Portaria nº 105/2026)
In Acre the dourada is on the list of species with banned fishing from Nov 15 to Mar 15.
In the Madeira River basin in Rondônia, during the closed season from Nov 15 to Mar 15, dourada and filhote may only be caught if they measure over 65 cm without the head. Rondônia also issues its own ordinances: confirm with Sedam.
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)
Annex III of Portaria Naturatins 47/2026 (wording from Portaria 105/2026) prohibits, at any size, dourada (Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii), coroatá/surubim-chicote (Platynematichthys notatus), apple stingray (arraia-maçã, Paratrygon aiereba), rubinho (Aguarunichthys tocantinsensis), aracu-boca-pra-cima (Sartor tucuruiense), pacu-dente-seco (Mylesinus paucisquamatus) and piabanha (Brycon gouldingi).
Source: Portaria Naturatins nº 47/2026, Annex III, as amended by Portaria nº 105/2026
Allowed: Sport and guided fishing only in reservoirs, catch and release with barbless hooks (no keeping, transporting or eating). Subsistence: up to 5 kg per day, for household consumption only.
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 fishing only in reservoirs, with handline, rod, or spinning or baitcasting reel. Fish may only be eaten on site, not transported. Competitions prohibited. Subsistence: 3 kg + 1 fish. State rules (GO and TO) may be stricter.
Allowed: Recreational fishing only in reservoirs, with on-site consumption. Subsistence: 5 kg + 1 fish. State rules may be stricter.
Allowed: In 2025/26: catch and release with barbless hooks and recreational fishing card; subsistence fishing on foot or from a rowboat, with simple pole or handline.
Source: Portaria Naturatins nº 244/2025 (2025/26 season); INIs MPA/MMA nº 12 and 13/2011
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
Keep it in the water alongside the boat and release it facing into the current. Avoid lifting big fish out of the water for photos.
Tasty flesh, widely sold in Manaus and Belém, as fried steaks or in stew. As a long-lived migratory predator, it can accumulate mercury: eat in moderation.
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00356571, b = 3.11; FishBase (bayesiano, espécie + forma do corpo da família); coeficiente a ajustado ao porte máximo registrado). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
—
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.
Your location is saved only on this device and feeds the forecast, the map and the "today" on the home page.
