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catalog Anostomidae · omnivore

yellow rabbit characin

Leporellus vittatus

Freshwateressential profile

A striped piau of rivers in the Amazon, Paraná-Paraguay and São Francisco basins, reaching about 30 cm. It has commercial and aquarium use.

Also called: piau-listrado, piava, lisa de cola negra, yellow rabbit characin

forecast for yellow rabbit characin where found
Scientific illustration of Yellow rabbit characin
maximum
30 cm
overview

who is the yellow rabbit characin

The striped piau belongs to the family Anostomidae and reaches 30 cm, with a common size of 29 cm. It occurs in the Amazon, Paraná-Paraguay and São Francisco basins, with records also in Peru and Paraguay. It lives in tropical rivers, from the bottom to midwater. It has a spindle-shaped body, and pairs breed in places with dense vegetation. It is caught for commercial sale and is also sold for aquariums. It 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 yellow rabbit characin; in the meantime, see the similar species.

how to recognize it

identification

A spindle-shaped body, with bands along the body, as the Portuguese and scientific names indicate: vittatus means striped. The Spanish name, lisa de cola negra, refers to the dark tail. It reaches 30 cm, while the canivete (Leporinus striatus), also striped, reaches 25 cm. Both occur in the Paraná and Paraguay basins, so the dark tail and size are the best clues.

how yellow rabbit characin 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.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

Amazon, Paraná-Paraguay and São Francisco basins, also present in Peru and Paraguay.

Habitat: Rivers of the Amazon, Paraná-Paraguay and São Francisco basins, where pairs spawn in dense vegetation.

native to the basins

AmazonParanáParaguay (Pantanal)São Francisco
what the law says

rules for the yellow rabbit characin

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 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

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.

Source: IN Semad-GO nº 17/2026, arts. 8º to 11

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.

Source: IN Interministerial MAPA/MMA nº 10/2017; Resolução Cepesca-MT nº 1/2026; Lei estadual MT nº 9.096/2009, arts. 19-A and 27 (Leis 12.434/2024 and 13.159/2025)

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

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

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.

A small-mouthed fish: remove the hook carefully, in the water, and release it without squeezing the body.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01047, b = 3.07; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). 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.

  1. scientific FishBase: Leporellus vittatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Leporellus vittatusNames by country and language.
  3. 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)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.
don't confuse

similar species

Illustration of Characin
Anostomidae

Characin

Leporinus striatus

Canivete, a piau of fast current from the Paraná, Paraguay and Uruguay basins. It eats plants and has commercial and aquarium use.

Freshwater
Illustration of Threespot headstander
Anostomidae

Threespot headstander

Pseudanos trimaculatus

A small piau from the Amazon basin and rivers of the Guianas, Peru and Ecuador. It forms schools and has commercial and aquarium use.

Freshwater