Semaprochilodus insignis
Manaus's most popular market fish. Travels in huge schools that migrate with the water cycle. Caught with nets; rarely on a hook.
Also called: jaraqui, jaraqui-escama-grossa, jaraqui-de-escama-grossa, jaraqui-açu, jaraqui-escama-grande
A relative of the curimbatá, the jaraqui scrapes mud, algae and organic matter from the bottom, logs and rocks. Lives in schools in blackwater and clearwater rivers and in várzea (floodplain) lakes of central and western Amazonia. Its migrations follow the water cycle: at the start of the flood, schools move down the blackwater tributaries, such as the Rio Negro, and spawn where they meet muddy water; then they enter the flooded forest to feed and, as the water falls, move again. It is one of the most landed fish in Manaus, caught with purse seines and cast nets. On the hook it almost never appears: it eats mud and doesn't chase bait.
Tall, compressed, silver body with a grey back. Fleshy, sucker-shaped mouth with small teeth, like the curimbatá's. Caudal fin with bold black and clear diagonal bands on both lobes. The thick-scale jaraquí has larger scales, in fewer numbers, than the thin-scale jaraquí, which is where its common name comes from. The curimatã does not have a striped tail.
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.
Central and western Amazon: Rio Negro and other blackwater and clearwater tributaries, the Solimões-Amazonas channel, the Madeira River and várzea lakes. Heavily fished around Manaus.
Habitat: Blackwater and clearwater rivers, mouths of lakes and igarapés (streams), igapó and várzea in flood; river channel during migrations.
native to the basins
states
Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia, Acre
famous destinations
Schools are concentrated and easy to find during falling water and the dry season (July to November in central Amazonas), and at the start of the flood, when they move down to spawn. During the flood, when they spread through the flooded forest, they nearly vanish.
Daytime. Scrapes the bottom and logs during the day. Migrating schools move at any hour.
Cold snaps (friagem) keep the school still for a few days.
Little known effect.
Little known effect.
The first rains and the rising river trigger the downstream run to spawn.
Falling water concentrates the school in channels and lake mouths; the flood spreads the fish through the forest.
A large school sinks and changes direction when a motor is nearby.
Little effect.
Mid-water and bottom, 1 to 6 m.
natural baits
accessories
It's a net fish. On the hook, only with groundbait and soft dough, and even then it's a game of patience.
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).
In AC the jaraquí (Semaprochilodus spp.) is in Annex II of the ordinance, with fishing prohibited from Nov 15 to Mar 15. Under art. 2 of the ordinance, anglers fishing with a handline or pole, line and hook are exempt from this ban, unless a stricter state rule applies; during the period the angler's limit is 5 kg + 1 fish.
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: 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
Delicate mouth: if you hook one, remove the hook carefully and release it quickly.
Tasty meat full of bones. Fried well done, with fine cuts along the back, or grilled over coals with flour and pepper.
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01995, b = 3.0; FishBase). 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.
