Piaractus brachypomus
Amazonian relative of the pacu, strong and wary. On the Araguaia it is the famous caranha, fished with fruit under the trees.
Also called: pirapitinga, caranha (Araguaia-Tocantins)
Pirapitinga is the large pacu of the Amazon and the Araguaia-Tocantins. It eats fruit, seeds, leaves, insects and small fish, and in high water it lives in the flooded forest among fruiting trees. In the dry season it stays in pools, eddies and shaded banks, always near vegetation. It is wary and fights hard, with runs and attempts to get into timber. On the Araguaia, where it is called caranha, fishing with fruit bait under the bankside trees is a tradition. It is also farmed and crossed with tambaqui, which produces tambatinga.
Tall, rounded body, silver to dark grey, with molar teeth. Juveniles have red-orange chest, belly and anal fin, resembling the red-bellied piranha, but have no cutting teeth. Smooth adipose fin, without rays. Tambaqui has a rayed adipose fin and a black lower half. The Pantanal pacu looks very similar but does not occur in the Amazon.
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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.
Amazon and Araguaia-Tocantins basins, in whitewater and clearwater rivers. On the Araguaia it is fished as caranha along the whole middle course.
Habitat: Flooded forest in high water; pools, eddies and banks shaded by fruit trees in the dry season.
native to the basins
states
Amazonas, Pará, Amapá, Acre, Rondônia, Roraima, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Goiás
On the Araguaia the best period is the dry season, June to October, with fish along shaded banks. In central Amazonia, high water takes the fish into the igapó.
Daytime. Feeds by day, mainly when fruit is falling. Late afternoon is usually good.
Friagem reduces feeding.
Moderate effect.
Little effect.
Little effect; rain knocks fruit down and can get the fish going.
In the dry season, look for pools and eddies under trees; in high water it is in the igapó.
Wary. Anchor far off and don't knock the boat under the tree.
Wind knocks fruit down and helps.
Mid-water and surface under the vegetation; pool bottom in the hot hours.
lures
natural baits
accessories
Use the same fruit falling at the spot and let the line run free, with no sinker, so the bait sinks slowly.
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 national list (Portaria GM/MMA 1.667/2026).
In Amazonas, Acre, Rondônia (Madeira basin), Amapá and Pará, pirapitinga is on the list of species with capture, transport and sale banned from November 15 to March 15. Licensed amateurs and riverside residents follow specific weight limits during that period.
In Tocantins pirapitinga (caranha) may only be kept at 50 cm or more, measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail.
Source: Portaria NATURATINS/GABIN nº 47/2026 (annexes amended by Portaria nº 105/2026)
Annual closed season in AM for the species in Annex II of Portaria 48/2007: pirapitinga, mapará, sardine, pacu, aruanã and matrinxã. Tambaqui and arapaima (pirarucu) have their own rules (see the specific items and "prohibitions").
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007
Annual closed season in AC for the species in Annex II: dourada, piraíba, pirapitinga, caparari, aruanã, jaraqui, mapará, sardine, matrinxã and pacu. On the Acre River, the closed season applies to all species (IN IBAMA 205/2008).
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007; IN IBAMA nº 205/2008 (Acre River)
Annual closed season in PA for the species in Annex II: pirapitinga, curimatã, mapará, aracu, pacu, jatuarana, fura-calça and branquinha. In the rivers of Marajó Island the period is different (see next item).
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007
On the Madeira River, the closed season protects pescada, surubim, caparari, pirapitinga and jatuarana. In the Guaporé-Mamoré sub-basin it applies to all species, except those listed in the rule.
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007
Source: IN Semad-GO nº 17/2026, Annex I, Araguaia-Tocantins basin (on-site consumption only; zero transport)
Source: Portaria Naturatins nº 47/2026, Annex I, as amended by Portaria nº 105/2026
Source: INIs MPA/MMA nº 12/2011 (Araguaia) and 13/2011 (Tocantins), minimum size annexes
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: 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 fishing only in reservoirs, with handline, rod, or spinning or baitcasting reel. Fish may only be eaten on site, not transported. Competitions prohibited. Subsistence: 3 kg + 1 fish. State rules (GO and TO) may be stricter.
Allowed: Recreational fishing only in reservoirs, with on-site consumption. Subsistence: 5 kg + 1 fish. State rules may be stricter.
Allowed: In 2025/26: catch and release with barbless hooks and recreational fishing card; subsistence fishing on foot or from a rowboat, with simple pole or handline.
Source: Portaria Naturatins nº 244/2025 (2025/26 season); INIs MPA/MMA nº 12 and 13/2011
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
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
Allowed: Subsistence fishing only.
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007
Allowed: See the exceptions in Portaria 48/2007 and the state rules for each bank.
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007
Hold it by the base of the tail and support the belly; molar teeth crush fingers. Release it quickly, in shaded water.
Fatty and tasty flesh, excellent grilled over coals as banda or ribs, like tambaqui.
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.03162, b = 3.0; FishBase (bayesiano, dados da espécie)). 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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