Fish of the family Serrasalmidae, the piranhas, with a tall body flattened from side to side. Reaches 15 cm. It lives in the middle and lower Amazon, in the Orinoco basin and in coastal rivers of the Guianas, in Brazil, Guyana and Venezuela. It lives in fresh water, from the bottom to midwater. It spawns in schools among aquatic plants. It has commercial use in fishing. It is not dangerous to anglers, but its sharp teeth call for care when handling it.
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 piranha-branca; in the meantime, see the similar species.
how to recognize it
identification
A piranha with a tall body flattened from side to side and sharp teeth, like the other piranhas of the family. It lives in the middle and lower Amazon and the Orinoco, where the black piranha also lives, which is much larger; this species reaches only 15 cm. The capture location and size are the main clues.
how piranha-branca 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.
It lives in the middle and lower Amazon and the Orinoco basin, as well as coastal rivers of the Guianas, in Brazil, Guyana and Venezuela.
Habitat: Freshwater rivers, from the bottom to midwater, where it spawns in schools among aquatic plants.
native to the basins
Amazon
what the law says
rules for the piranha-branca
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.
It is not dangerous to anglers, but it has sharp teeth: handle it with care and do not bring your hands near its mouth when releasing it.
calculator
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.0182, b = 3.12; 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.
