The toucan fish belongs to the family Chalceidae, like the arari-pirá, and has a body compressed from side to side and large scales. Reaches 24.5 centimeters standard length and up to 310 grams. It occurs in the Amazon basin, from the Amazon and Solimões rivers to the Ucayali River in Peru. It lives in the water column, in warm tropical waters, between 22 and 26 °C. Being pelagic, it stays farther from the bottom. In fishing it has commercial value, and the species is also sold for aquariums.
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 tucan fish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
how to recognize it
identification
A body compressed from side to side, with large scales, like the chalceus. The scientific name, erythrurus, means red tail, and the reddish tail is the mark of the species. It reaches 24.5 centimeters, almost the same size as the arari-pirá, so size does not tell the two apart. The difference is location: the toucan fish lives in the Solimões and the Peruvian Amazon, while the arari-pirá (Chalceus macrolepidotus) occurs in the Negro River, the Orinoco and the Guianas.
how tucan fish 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.
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.
It occurs in Brazil and Peru, in the Amazon basin, from the Amazon River and the Solimões to the Ucayali River.
Habitat: Amazonian rivers, in midwater, in warm waters between 22 and 26 °C.
native to the basins
Amazon
what the law says
rules for the tucan fish
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.
It has no spines or venom. Just remove the hook carefully.
calculator
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00933, b = 3.22; 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
—
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.
