MS: minimum 38 cm
38 cmMS
Minimum size for piavuçu in MS. Counts as the only native fish in the recreational bag limit.
Source: Decreto estadual MS nº 15.375/2020 (amends Decreto nº 15.166/2019), art. 9º - Semadesc/Imasul
catalog
Anostomidae · omnivore
piavuçu
Megaleporinus macrocephalus
Freshwater
The largest of the piaus. Native to the Pantanal, now common in upper Paraná reservoirs. Caught on chum with corn and dough bait.
Also called: piavuçu, piauçu, piau-açu, piavussu, boga
- common size
- 35–55 cm
- maximum
- 68 cm
- common weight
- 1–3 kg
- record/max.
- 5.3 kg
- depth
- 1–8 m
- ideal water
- 23–29 °C
overview
who is the piavuçu
A large, big-headed piau native to the Paraguay basin. It eats seeds, fruit, leaves, insects and mollusks. It was widely used in fish farming and escaped into upper Paraná reservoirs, where it formed large populations. There it is alien, not native. Caught on chum with corn, dough and minhocuçu (giant earthworm), it nibbles the bait before taking it: whoever waits too long to set the hook loses the fish. It fights well, with strong runs to the bottom. Outside the chum, look for backwaters and banks with sandy bottoms. In MS and MT the minimum size is 38 cm.
fun facts
- The scientific name macrocephalus means large head.
- It was one of the first native species raised on a large scale in Center-South fish farming.
how to recognize it
identification
Large, broad head for a piau, small mouth with incisor teeth. Greenish-to-olive back, yellowish flanks. Juveniles with dark vertical bands. The piapara is more silvery and has three dark spots on the flank. The piau-três-pintas is smaller and has three well-marked black spots.
how piavuçu 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
Native to the Pantanal (Paraguay, Cuiabá, Miranda, Aquidauana, Taquari). Introduced to upper Paraná reservoirs (Grande, Paranaíba, Tietê, Paranapanema, Ivaí) and present in pay lakes.
Habitat: Backwaters, bank edges, bays and reservoirs; sand or mud bottom near submerged timber.
native to the basins
Paraguay (Pantanal)
introduced in
Paraná
states
Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, São Paulo, Paraná, Goiás, Minas Gerais
when to fish
best season
time of yearbest: Mar–Apr and Oct
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Warm months are best. In winter chum takes longer to draw fish in.
best time of day
Daytime, with peaks at dawn and dusk. Feeds by day, best in the morning and late afternoon. On chum, it responds at any hour.
what affects the piavuçu
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 knocks out the chum for 1 to 2 days.
atmospheric pressure
Stable weather is better.
moon
Small effect.
rain
Light rain doesn't matter.
water level
In reservoirs, stable level. In rivers, falling water concentrates fish in backwaters.
noise
Wary over shallow chum; keep the boat away.
wind
A light chop helps hide the line.
depth
Bottom, 2 to 6 m, near the chum.
how to fish
- rod
- 6' to 7', medium action, 10 to 25 lb
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 2500 to 4000
- line
- monofilament 0.30 to 0.40 mm or braided line 20 lb
- leader
- fluorocarbon 25 to 30 lb
- hook
- 1/0 to 2/0, short, chinu type
natural baits
- green or boiled corn
- cornmeal dough (fubá)
- minhocuçu
- boiled soybean
accessories
- corn chum
- alicate
tip from an angler
Chum the spot with corn for a day or two. Set the hook on the first firm pull, without waiting for the second.
rules for the piavuçu
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: In the Paraná basin it is an alien species.
MT: minimum 38 cm
38 cmMTParaguay (Pantanal)
Minimum size in the Paraguay basin in MT. Recreational anglers may keep fish only for on-site consumption.
Source: Lei estadual MT nº 9.096/2009, art. 28 and Annex I (Paraguay Basin) - Sema-MT
Paraná basin: 40 cm by common name
40 cmSPPRMGGOParaná
IN Ibama 26/2009 uses "piavuçu" as one of the names of the piapara/piau-verdadeiro group, with 40 cm. In the Paraná basin, respect 40 cm.
Source: Instrução Normativa Ibama nº 26/2009 (fishing rules for the Paraná River basin), Annex
Minimum size: 38 cm
MSParaguay (Pantanal)Paraná
Source: Decreto estadual MS nº 15.166/2019, art. 9º (as amended by Decreto nº 15.375/2020)
Minimum size: 38 cm
MTParaguay (Pantanal)
Minimum size: 40 cm
SPPRMGGOMSDFParaná
Source: IN IBAMA nº 26/2009, Annex (Paraná River basin; stricter state rules prevail)
piracema closures in the basins where the species lives
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.
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 by the belly and caudal peduncle, remove the hook with pliers and return it to the water.
in the kitchen
Good flesh, with bones; fried in thin steaks or baked.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01096, b = 3.19; 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 — Megaleporinus macrocephalus (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).
- scientific IUCN Red List — Megaleporinus macrocephalus (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 07/11/2018)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- scientific Ramirez, J. L.; Birindelli, J. L. O.; Galetti Jr., P. M. (2017). A new genus of Anostomidae (Ostariophysi: Characiformes): diversity, phylogeny and biogeography based on cytogenetic, molecular and morphological data. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 107: 308–323.Creates the genus Megaleporinus (formerly Leporinus).
- 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.Treats the species as Leporinus macrocephalus (old genus). Print work; the URL is the bibliographic record in 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 species of the upper Paraná River, indicating native and non-native ones. Open access; species name checked in the text.
