Conorhynchos conirostris
Anteater-snouted catfish, found only in the São Francisco. Endangered, and catching it is prohibited. If you hook one, release it.
Also called: pirá, pirá-tamanduá, peixe-tamanduá
Endemic catfish of the São Francisco, unmistakable for its long, conical snout. Lives on the channel bottom and eats mollusks, larvae and small invertebrates it digs out of the sediment. It has been found from the upper to the lower river; today it is mostly found in the middle São Francisco, in Minas Gerais and Bahia, and has disappeared from the lower river. Dams, which changed the flow and temperature of the water, are the main cause of the decline. Listed as Endangered on the national list, which prohibits catching it. In bottom fishing it still turns up by accident: release it right away, without lifting it out of the water.
Long, conical, pointed snout, like an anteater's. Small mouth under the head. Elongated, scaleless body, blue-grey with a light belly and no spots. Short barbels. No other São Francisco catfish has that snout. The mandi has spots and a short snout; the pintado has a shovel-shaped head and spots.
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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.
Endemic to the São Francisco. Today it is found mostly in the middle river (north of Minas Gerais and Bahia); rare in the upper river and gone from the lower São Francisco.
Habitat: Main channel, sand and gravel bottoms with current.
native to the basins
states
Minas Gerais, Bahia
No fishing season: catching it is prohibited. It shows up more in the dry season, when the river is low.
Night and twilight. Most active at night and at dusk, rooting along the bottom.
Not well known.
Not well known.
Not well known.
Little effect on the bottom.
Depends on flood pulses to breed; flow controlled by dams harms the species.
Not well known.
No effect.
Channel bottom, 2 to 10 m.
natural baits
accessories
Protected species. If it comes onto the hook, release it right away; if it swallowed the hook, cut the line close to the mouth.
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: Threatened species already listed before 2026: catch, transport and trade banned (Portaria GM/MMA no. 1.666/2026, art. 3). Caught it by accident? Release it immediately.
The pirá is listed as Endangered on the national list (MMA Ordinances 445/2014 and 148/2022), with catching it prohibited. On the current list (Ordinance GM/MMA 1.667/2026), the pirá remains Endangered.
Source: Portaria MMA nº 445/2014 (annexes updated by Portaria MMA nº 148/2022)
Conorhynchos conirostris (pirá or pirá-tamanduá, from the São Francisco) is EN on the national list. Catching prohibited; release it if hooked.
Source: Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.666/2026 (art. 3º) and nº 1.667/2026
Allowed: Only exotic or hybrid species, 3 kg + 1 fish per day, with handline, rod, simple pole, or spinning or baitcasting reel. Nets prohibited. Keep the minimum distances from dams and reservoirs.
Source: Portarias IEF nº 154/2011 (São Francisco), 155/2011 (East) and 156/2011 (Grande/Paranaíba)
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.
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
Allowed: No fishing in the floodplain lakes during the period.
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 50/2007
Release it without taking it out of the water. Don't take photos holding it by the snout.
Do not eat it: catching this species is prohibited.
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00955, b = 3.09; FishBase). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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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.
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