The jatuarana belongs to the family Bryconidae and reaches 38 cm and 4.4 kg. It has a spindle-shaped body, typical of Brycon. It lives in the Amazon basin and in rivers of Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, in fresh water, from midwater to the bottom. It is potamodromous, meaning it migrates within rivers and does not depend on the sea. It has commercial and aquarium use and rarely shows up on the line of anglers using rods.
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 jatuarana; in the meantime, see the similar species.
how to recognize it
identification
A spindle-shaped, silvery body, typical of bryconids, with a dark tail, as the Spanish name sábalo cola negra indicates. Reaches 38 cm, about twice the size of the piabano (Brycon pesu), which is 19 cm. To tell it apart from the piabano, which looks similar and shares the same region, size is the safest guide.
how jatuarana 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.
Amazon basin, also present in Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru.
Habitat: Rivers of the Amazon basin, from midwater to the bottom, with migrations within rivers.
native to the basins
Amazon
what the law says
rules for the jatuarana
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.
A fish of good size: use pliers to remove the hook, hold it firmly and release it promptly.
calculator
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01259, b = 3.04; 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.
