Minimum size: 30 cm
PRParanáSoutheast Atlantic
Source: Portaria IAT nº 650/2025, Annex I (interior basins of PR, except Iguazu and coastal)
catalog
Heptapteridae · omnivore
south american catfish
Rhamdia quelen
Freshwater
The leather catfish of the rivers of the South and Southeast. Nocturnal, tolerates cold water and bites well on worms on the bottom.
Also called: jundiá, jundiá-cinza, bagre
- common size
- 20–40 cm
- maximum
- 61 cm
- common weight
- 0.2–1.5 kg
- record/max.
- 4.0 kg
- depth
- 0.5–6 m
- ideal water
- 18–26 °C
overview
who is the south american catfish
Scaleless catfish, small to medium size, common in rivers, streams, lagoons and farm ponds of the South and Southeast. It tolerates cold water better than the Pantanal catfish, which is why it is one of the most-caught fish in RS, SC and PR. Eats just about anything: small fish, insects, worms, crustaceans and scraps. Comes out at night and stays near rocks, logs and cutbanks. Raised in fish farms in the South. Fights little, but bites well on worms on the bottom at night. Has a pectoral spine that wounds the hand: be careful when handling it.
fun facts
- It is one of the main native species in fish farming in the South.
- The pectoral spine causes a painful wound: the anglers' saying is never to pick up a jundiá with an open hand.
how to recognize it
identification
Elongated, scaleless body, grey to olive-brown, sometimes mottled, with a light belly. Three pairs of long barbels; the jaws reach close to the tail. Long adipose fin. The mandi is yellowish with rows of spots and has stronger spines. The African catfish has a broad bony head, four pairs of barbels and no adipose fin.
how south american 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.
distribution
open on the large map where found
Rivers, streams, lagoons and farm ponds of the South and Southeast, the Pantanal and the São Francisco; very common in RS, SC and PR.
Habitat: Bottoms with rocks, logs and holes; slack water, cutbanks and small farm ponds.
native to the basins
ParanáParaguay (Pantanal)UruguaySouth AtlanticSoutheast AtlanticEast AtlanticSão Francisco
states
Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Paraná, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás
when to fish
best season
time of yearbest: Oct–Mar
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Spring and summer are the best, but it keeps biting in autumn and on mild winter days.
best time of day
Nighttime. Active at night, mostly in the first hours after dusk. Cloudy days and murky water help during the day.
what affects the south american catfish
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
cold and cold fronts
Tolerates the cold, but stops on freezing winter nights.
atmospheric pressure
Little effect.
moon
Dark nights produce more.
rain
Water turning murky after rain often activates the jundiá.
water level
A river rising slowly brings food and gets fish moving.
noise
Not very sensitive.
wind
Almost no effect.
depth
Bottom, 0.5 to 4 m.
how to fish
- rod
- 1.8 to 2.1 m, 8 to 15 lb, or bamboo rod
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 1000 to 2500
- line
- monofilament 0.25 to 0.30 mm
- leader
- optional
- hook
- #1 to 1/0; olive sinker 5 to 15 g
natural baits
- minhoca
- minhocuçu
- chicken heart
- liver
- piece of lambari
accessories
- alicate
- cloth to grip
- lanterna
tip from an angler
At night, bait on the bottom near rocks and snags, with little slack in the line. The jundiá swallows the bait: strike quickly so you don't injure the fish.
ready-made kit
first fishing trip (cheap beginner kit)
For anyone who's never fished and wants a simple kit for a pay lake, lake, reservoir or calm river, with natural bait.
guidefirst aid while fishing
What to do about a hook stuck in the skin, stingray and catfish stings, piranha bites, line cuts, sunburn, heat exhaustion and drowning. It doesn't replace a first-aid course or medical care.
guidefirst fishing trip: from zero to the water's edge
For anyone who has never fished: license, where to go, a cheap kit that works, how to rig a bobber line, how to bait the hook and what to do when the fish bites.
rules for the south american 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: Rhamdia quelen is treated as a species complex.
Minimum size: 15 cm
TOTocantins-Araguaia
Source: Portaria Naturatins nº 47/2026, Annex I, as amended by Portaria nº 105/2026
piracema closures in the basins where the species lives
Spawning closure (piracema) in the Paraná River basin
01/11 to 28/02SPPRMGGOMSDF
Allowed: Recreational fishing only for non-native species and hybrids (peacock bass, tilapia, black bass, carp, croaker, etc.; piauçu remains prohibited), with handline, simple pole, or rod with spinning or baitcasting reel, up to 10 kg + 1 fish. In rivers, from shore only; in reservoirs, from a boat or from shore. Prohibited: floodplain lakes, aquatic-animal bait, within 1,500 m of dams and waterfalls, and within 500 m of confluences. Tournaments only in reservoirs and only with non-native species.
Source: IN IBAMA nº 25/2009
Spawning closure (piracema) in Minas Gerais (state rule)
01/11 to 28/02MG
Allowed: Only exotic or hybrid species, 3 kg + 1 fish per day, with handline, rod, simple pole, or spinning or baitcasting reel. Nets prohibited. Keep the minimum distances from dams and reservoirs.
Source: Portarias IEF nº 154/2011 (São Francisco), 155/2011 (East) and 156/2011 (Grande/Paranaíba)
Closed season in Goiás (state rule)
01/11 to 28/02GO
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.
Spawning closure (piracema) in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul
05/11 to 28/02MS
Allowed: Subsistence fishing by riverside residents and authorized scientific fishing. Decree 15.166/2019 (art. 11, §5) allows catch and release only in February and only in the channels of the Paraguay and Paraná rivers. For the rest of the period, not even catch and release is allowed. Check the Imasul portaria for each season.
Source: Decreto estadual MS nº 15.166/2019, art. 11; IN IBAMA nº 201/2008
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.
Spawning closure (piracema) in the São Francisco River basin (rivers and reservoirs)
01/11 to 28/02MGBAPEALSEGODF
Allowed: Recreational fishing from a boat or from shore with handline, rod, spinning or baitcasting reel, up to 5 kg + 1 fish. Prohibited within 1,000 m of dams, waterfalls and rapids, and within 500 m of confluences. Floodplain lakes have a longer closed season (see next item).
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 50/2007
São Francisco: floodplain lakes
01/11 to 30/04MGBAPEALSEGODF
Allowed: No fishing in the floodplain lakes during the period.
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 50/2007
Spawning closure (piracema) in the Uruguay River basin
01/10 to 31/01RSSC
Allowed: Recreational fishing from shore, or from a boat without motor. Only handline or rod, line and hook, one gear per angler, up to 5 kg. Prohibited in floodplain lakes, within 1,500 m of dams, within 500 m of confluences, and in stretches listed in the rule (e.g., Turvo River).
Source: IN IBAMA nº 193/2008
Spawning closure (piracema) in the southern basins (RS and SC, outside the Uruguay)
01/11 to 31/01RSSC
Allowed: Recreational fishing from a boat or from shore, with a single hook, one gear per angler, up to 5 kg.
Source: IN IBAMA nº 197/2008
Spawning closure (piracema) in the Southeast basins
01/11 to 28/02ESMGRJSPPR
Allowed: In rivers, shore fishing only; in reservoirs, from a boat or from shore. Only non-native species, hybrids, and giant river prawn (camarão-gigante-da-malásia), up to 10 kg + 1 fish. Prohibited in floodplain lakes and within 1,000 m of dams.
Source: IN IBAMA nº 195/2008
Spawning closure (piracema) in the East basins
01/11 to 28/02BAESMGSE
Allowed: Same rules as the Southeast basins: only non-native species and hybrids, up to 10 kg + 1 fish; in rivers, shore fishing only.
Source: IN IBAMA nº 196/2008
catch and release
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.
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.
Hold it behind the pectoral spines with a damp cloth. If it swallowed the hook, cut the line close to the hook.
in the kitchen
White meat with no intramuscular bones, very tasty; fried, stewed or grilled over coals.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00912, b = 3.02; FishBase). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
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.
- scientific FishBase — Rhamdia quelen (ficha da espécie)Names, distribution, biology, length-weight relationship and references. Page checked on October 13, 2026.
- official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026 — Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)Most recent national list. The species is not on it (search by scientific name in the text published in the DOU, checked on October 13, 2026).
- official ICMBio/SALVE — Ficha de Rhamdia quelen (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)National assessment by ICMBio, published in 2024. DOI verified on Crossref.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Rhamdia quelen (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 19/03/2018)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- scientific Bockmann, F. A.; Guazzelli, G. M. (2003). Heptapteridae (heptapterids). In: Reis, R. E.; Kullander, S. O.; Ferraris Jr., C. J. (orgs.). Check List of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, p. 406–431.Printed book chapter; the URL is the bibliographic record on FishBase, which cites the chapter for the species.
- scientific Ota, R. R.; Deprá, G. C.; Graça, W. J.; Pavanelli, C. S. (2018). Peixes da planície de inundação do alto rio Paraná e áreas adjacentes: revised, annotated and updated. Neotropical Ichthyology 16(2): e170094.Annotated list of species of the upper Paraná River, indicating native and non-native ones. Open access; species name checked in the text.
- scientific Zaniboni Filho, E.; Meurer, S.; Shibatta, O. A.; Nuñer, A. P. O. (2004). Catálogo ilustrado de peixes do alto rio Uruguai. Florianópolis: Editora da UFSC; Tractebel Energia. 128 p.Printed work; the URL is the bibliographic record on FishBase, which cites this work for the species.
