MS: minimum 35 cm
35 cmMS
Minimum size for palmito (Ageneiosus spp.) in MS.
Source: Decreto estadual MS nº 15.375/2020 (amends Decreto nº 15.166/2019), art. 9º - Semadesc/Imasul
catalog
Auchenipteridae · predator
manduba
Ageneiosus inermis
Freshwater
Large-mouthed, smooth catfish that hunts at night. Caught with live and artificial bait in the Pantanal, the Araguaia and the Amazon; its meat is very fine.
Also called: mandubé, palmito, fidalgo, boca-larga, mandubi, manduvê
- common size
- 35–50 cm
- maximum
- 65 cm
- common weight
- 0.5–1.5 kg
- record/max.
- 3.1 kg
- depth
- 1–8 m
- ideal water
- 25–30 °C
overview
who is the manduba
The largest species of the family Auchenipteridae, the mandubé is a scaleless catfish with a flattened head and a very wide mouth. It eats mostly fish, and also shrimp, hunting at night in slack water and along vegetated banks where the current is weak. Its reproduction is unusual: fertilization is internal, the male develops a copulatory organ and changes its dorsal spine and barbels during spawning, and the female stores sperm. In the upper Paraná it is a non-native species, which arrived after the Itaipu lake covered Sete Quedas. Its meat is considered very fine-flavored.
fun facts
- Ageneiosus means without a beard: the barbels are almost invisible.
- The female can store sperm after mating.
how to recognize it
identification
Long, smooth, scaleless body, silver-grey on the back and pale on the belly. Head flattened on top, very wide mouth and eyes on the sides, level with the mouth. Very short barbels. First dorsal ray long and serrated in males. Long anal fin.
how manduba 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
Amazon basin, Tocantins-Araguaia and Pantanal; in the upper Paraná it is non-native, present since the formation of the Itaipu lake.
Habitat: Slack water, bays, vegetated banks and corixo mouths; river channel at night.
native to the basins
AmazonTocantins-AraguaiaParaguay (Pantanal)
introduced in
Paraná
states
Amazonas, Pará, Amapá, Acre, Rondônia, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Tocantins, Goiás, Paraná, São Paulo
when to fish
best season
time of yearbest: May–Oct
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Best in falling water and the dry season, from May to October in the Pantanal and the Araguaia, with the fish concentrated in bays and channels.
best time of day
Night and twilight. Hunts from sunset to early morning; during the day it stays hidden in its lair.
what affects the manduba
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
A cold front shuts down activity, especially in the Pantanal.
atmospheric pressure
Stable pressure helps.
moon
Dark nights and the new moon often produce more.
rain
Little effect, except in a storm.
water level
A falling river concentrates the fish in bays and corixo mouths.
noise
Approach slowly and avoid shining a light on the water.
wind
Little effect at night.
depth
Mid-water and bottom, 1 to 5 m.
how to fish
- rod
- 6' to 6'6", medium action, 12 to 25 lb
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 3000 or low-profile baitcasting reel
- line
- braided 20 to 30 lb or monofilament 0.35 mm
- leader
- monofilament 40 to 50 lb, 50 cm
- hook
- #1/0 to 4/0
lures
- weighted-head jig with soft plastic
- small mid-water plug
natural baits
- tuvira
- lambari
- small piau
- shrimp
accessories
- headlamp
- alicate
tip from an angler
Live bait near the vegetation, late in the afternoon and at night. Let it swallow the bait before setting the hook.
rules for the manduba
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).
MT (Araguaia stretch): minimum 35 cm
35 cmMTTocantins-Araguaia
The MT law lists the 'mandubé/fidalgo (Ageneiosus brevifilis)', the former name of the same species, at 35 cm in the Araguaia stretch from the headwaters to Antônio Rosa and in the Araguaia National Park. In MT, anglers may only kill for consumption on site (up to 2 kg or 1 fish, art. 19-C); the rule applies to that kill.
GO (Araguaia-Tocantins): between 30 and 35 cm
30 cmGOTocantins-Araguaia
In Goiás the mandubé may only be killed between 30 and 35 cm, and only for consumption on site: transport is prohibited.
Source: IN Semad-GO nº 17/2026, Annex I (in force May 28, 2026; on-site consumption only, zero transport)
GO (Araguaia-Tocantins): maximum 35 cm
35 cmGOTocantins-Araguaia
Above 35 cm the mandubé must be returned to the water in Goiás.
Source: IN Semad-GO nº 17/2026, Annex I (in force May 28, 2026; on-site consumption only, zero transport)
TO: between 35 and 50 cm
35 cmTOTocantins-Araguaia
In Tocantins the mandubé (Ageneiosus spp.) may only be kept between 35 and 50 cm. In TO anglers may not transport fish until Feb 28, 2029, except 1 native fish; they may consume up to 3 kg on site (Naturatins Ordinance 44/2026).
Source: Portaria Naturatins nº 47/2026, Annex I, as amended by Portaria nº 105/2026
TO: maximum 50 cm
50 cmTOTocantins-Araguaia
Above 50 cm the mandubé must be returned to the water in Tocantins.
Source: Portaria Naturatins nº 47/2026, Annex I, as amended by Portaria nº 105/2026
piracema closures in the basins where the species lives
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 Araguaia River basin
01/11 to 28/02GOTOPAMT
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.
Spawning closure (piracema) in the Tocantins and Gurupi river basins
01/11 to 28/02TOPAMAGO
Allowed: Recreational fishing only in reservoirs, with on-site consumption. Subsistence: 5 kg + 1 fish. State rules may be stricter.
Spawning closure (piracema) in Tocantins (state rule)
01/11 to 28/02TO
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
Closed season in the rivers of Marajó Island (PA)
01/01 to 30/04PA
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
Closed season in the Amazon basin in Amapá
15/11 to 15/03AP
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
Closed season in Roraima
01/03 to 30/06RR
Allowed: Subsistence fishing only.
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007
Border rivers MT/RO and MT/PA
05/11 to 28/02MTROPA
Allowed: See the exceptions in Portaria 48/2007 and the state rules for each bank.
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007
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.
Watch the serrated dorsal spine of the males: hold from below, remove the hook with pliers and release quickly.
in the kitchen
White, delicate meat, one of the finest among catfish. Fried in steaks, baked or in moqueca.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00955, b = 3.04; FishBase). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
—
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 — Ageneiosus inermis (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 Ageneiosus inermis (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)National assessment by ICMBio, published in 2023. DOI verified on Crossref.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Ageneiosus inermis (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 07/08/2020)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- scientific Freitas, T. M. S.; Santos, W. O.; Prudente, B. S.; Montag, L. F. A. (2020). Diet and foraging behavior of Ageneiosus inermis (Teleostei, Auchenipteridae). Neotropical Biology and Conservation 15(3): 209–218.Piscivorous diet and habitat use. DOI and abstract checked in Crossref.
- scientific Britski, H. A.; Silimon, K. Z. S.; Lopes, B. S. (2007). Peixes do Pantanal: manual de identificação. 2ª ed. Brasília: Embrapa Informação Tecnológica. 227 p.Printed work; the URL is the bibliographic record on FishBase, which cites this work 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 the species of the upper Paraná River, marking native and non-native species. Open access; the species name was checked in the text. The text classifies the species as non-native to the upper Paraná.
