PR: catch and release only
possession, keeping and transport bannedPR
In PR the piracanjuba is among the species with possession, keeping and transport banned in inland waters. Release immediately at the same spot.
catalog
Bryconidae · omnivore
piracanjuba
Brycon orbignyanus
Freshwaternational list: CR · critically endangered
Once a prized trophy of the Paraná and Uruguay rivers, now Critically Endangered. In the river, release only; legal fishing with harvest is limited to pay lakes with farmed fish.
Also called: piracanjuba, piracanjuva, bracanjuva
- common size
- 40–60 cm
- maximum
- 80 cm
- common weight
- 1.5–4 kg
- record/max.
- 6.0 kg
- depth
- 0.5–5 m
- ideal water
- 22–28 °C
overview
who is the piracanjuba
A large, silver characin with red fins that was once common in the Paraná, Grande, Tietê and Uruguay rivers. It eats fruit, seeds, insects and small fish, and depends on rivers with riparian forest and free-flowing rapids. Dams, forest loss and fishing have wiped out populations: today it survives in a few stretches, such as the free-flowing Paraná between Porto Primavera and Itaipu, the Ivinhema and the middle Uruguay. It is on the national list as Critically Endangered, and PR bans possession and keeping. It is farmed in fish farms, and pay lakes are where it can be fished for harvest. If you hook one in the river, release it without lifting it out of the water.
fun facts
- It was once one of the most fished species in the Paraná before the large dams.
- Restocking programs release captive-bred fingerlings in some rivers.
how to recognize it
identification
Elongated, silver body, blue-grey or greenish back. Orange to reddish fins, tail with a dark band on the peduncle that runs along the central rays. Small mouth with multicuspid teeth. The piraputanga is quite similar, but it is from the Pantanal and smaller. The golden dorado has a gold body and a large mouth. The matrinxã is Amazonian.
how piracanjuba 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
Today restricted to free-flowing stretches of the upper Paraná (between Porto Primavera and Itaipu, Ivinhema River) and the Uruguay River. Farmed fish in pay lakes in SP, PR, MG and GO.
Habitat: Large rivers with rapids, islands and riparian forest; backwaters under fruit trees.
native to the basins
ParanáUruguay
states
Paraná, Mato Grosso do Sul, São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina
famous destinations
when to fish
best season
time of yearbest: Oct
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Most active in warm months. In a pay lake it produces October to April.
best time of day
Daytime, with peaks at dawn and dusk. Active by day, with peaks early and late in the afternoon.
what affects the piracanjuba
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
Cold water keeps fish still on the bottom.
atmospheric pressure
Little known effect.
moon
Little effect.
rain
Light rain knocks down fruit and insects and activates the surface.
water level
In the river, it follows the supply of fruit from the flooded forest.
noise
Wary; approach quietly.
wind
Little effect.
depth
Surface and mid-water, down to 3 m.
how to fish
- rod
- 6', medium-fast action, 10 to 20 lb; fly #6 to #8
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 2500 to 3000
- line
- braid 15 to 20 lb or mono 0.30 mm
- leader
- fluorocarbon 25 to 30 lb
- hook
- 1/0 to 3/0, short and strong
lures
- spinner #3
- small spoon 7 to 12 g
- fruit-fly flies and streamer
natural baits
- frutas
- green corn
- massa
- fish feed (pay lake)
accessories
- alicate
- rubber passaguá
tip from an angler
At the pay lake, float with feed or fruit in the shade of the trees. In the river, don't target this species.
rules for the piracanjuba
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.
Endangered species: catch banned in the wild
catch, transport and trade banned (wild fish)ParanáUruguayconfirm with the agency
EN species on the national list have full protection, with catch banned. On the current list (Portaria GM/MMA 1.667/2026), the piracanjuba is listed as Critically Endangered. Farmed fish with an invoice are not covered by the ban.
Source: Portaria MMA nº 445/2014 (annexes updated by Portaria MMA nº 148/2022)
Piracanjuba: Critically Endangered, catching prohibited
ParanáUruguayParaguay (Pantanal)
Brycon orbignyanus is CR on the national list (Portaria MMA 148/2022 and Portaria GM/MMA 1.667/2026). Catching, transport and sale are prohibited nationwide, with no use plan. If you hook one, release it alive immediately. In PR and RS it is also listed as threatened in state rules.
Source: Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.666/2026 (art. 3º) and nº 1.667/2026
Paraná: jaú, pintado, cachara, dorado and piracanjuba catch and release only
PRParanáSoutheast Atlantic
Possession, killing and transport of these species are prohibited in Paraná's inland waters (Paraná and Atlantic Southeast basins, except the Iguaçu River and the coast). Catch and release only, with immediate release at the same spot.
Goiás: threatened species excluded from catching
GO
IN Semad 17/2026 excludes threatened species on the national list from catching; the list updates automatically with each new MMA list. In Goiás, pintado, piracanjuba, matrinchã B. gouldingi and, after about Oct 25, 2026, new species on the list may not be killed.
Rio Grande do Sul: dorado, pintado and piracanjuba on the state threatened list
RSUruguaySouth Atlanticconfirm with the agency
State Decree 51.797/2014 declares as threatened in RS: dorado (EN in the Patos Lagoon basin, VU in the Uruguay basin), pintado (EN) and piracanjuba (CR). The decree itself does not set catching rules: confirm with Sema-RS whether there is a retention restriction. Good practice is to release.
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
Spawning closure (piracema) in Minas Gerais (state rule)
01/11 to 28/02MG
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)
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.
Spawning closure (piracema) in the Uruguay River basin
01/10 to 31/01RSSC
Allowed: Recreational fishing from shore, or from a boat without motor. Only handline or rod, line and hook, one gear per angler, up to 5 kg. Prohibited in floodplain lakes, within 1,500 m of dams, within 500 m of confluences, and in stretches listed in the rule (e.g., Turvo River).
Source: IN IBAMA nº 193/2008
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.
If you hook one in the river, release it without lifting it out of the water: cut the line close to the hook if it is deep.
in the kitchen
Highly prized flesh. Eat only fish from fish farms or pay lakes, with an invoice.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01413, b = 3.05; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana pelo gênero)). 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 — Brycon orbignyanus (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)The species is listed as CR (checked in the text published in Brazil's Official Gazette (DOU) of Apr 28, 2026, section 1, p. 96).
- official ICMBio/SALVE — Ficha de Brycon orbignyanus (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)National assessment by ICMBio, published in 2023. DOI verified on Crossref.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Brycon orbignyanus (avaliação global: Em Perigo, EN, 07/10/2020)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- scientific Oliveira, D. J.; Ashikaga, F. Y.; Foresti, F.; Senhorini, J. A. (2017). Conservation status of the "Piracanjuba" Brycon orbignyanus (Valenciennes, 1850) (Characiformes, Bryconidae): basis for management programs. Biodiversidade Brasileira 7(1): 18–33.ICMBio scientific journal.
- 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.
- scientific Zaniboni Filho, E.; Meurer, S.; Shibatta, O. A.; Nuñer, A. P. O. (2004). Catálogo ilustrado de peixes do alto rio Uruguai. Florianópolis: Editora da UFSC; Tractebel Energia. 128 p.Printed work; the URL is the bibliographic record on FishBase, which cites this work for the species.
