The piabano belongs to the family Bryconidae and reaches 19 cm, weighing up to 88 g. It is a gregarious species that forms groups and swims constantly in fast water, over sand and stone. It eats plants and animals. It occurs in the Amazon and Orinoco basins, and in rivers of Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. It has commercial and aquarium use and rarely turns up on the line of rod anglers.
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 mourning tetra; in the meantime, see the similar species.
how to recognize it
identification
An elongated, silvery body of a bryconid, which forms groups and swims constantly. Reaches 19 cm, much smaller than the jatuarana (Brycon melanopterus), which reaches 38 cm. Since it lives in strong current, over sand and stone, size is the safest reference for telling the two apart.
how mourning tetra 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 and Orinoco basins, and rivers of the Guianas, Suriname, French Guiana, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.
Habitat: Fast current over sand and stone, in groups that swim constantly.
native to the basins
Amazon
what the law says
rules for the mourning tetra
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 small, agile fish: remove the hook in the water and release it promptly.
calculator
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01445, b = 3.06; 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.
