MS: minimum 30 cm
30 cmMS
Minimum size for piraputanga in MS, no maximum. 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
Bryconidae · omnivore
piraputanga
Brycon hilarii
Freshwater
The fish of the crystal-clear waters of Bonito and the upper Paraguay. Fast, wary and excellent on a fruit-fly pattern.
Also called: piraputanga, pirapitanga
- common size
- 30–45 cm
- maximum
- 56 cm
- common weight
- 0.8–2.5 kg
- record/max.
- 3.4 kg
- depth
- 0.3–4 m
- ideal water
- 22–28 °C
overview
who is the piraputanga
A schooling fish of the clear-water rivers at the edge of the Pantanal. It eats fruit, seeds, insects and small fish, and waits under the trees for whatever falls. In Bonito and the Bodoquena range it is the fish everyone sees on the float trips. It is fast, jumps and makes long runs for its size. In clear water it becomes very wary, which makes fishing technical. On light tackle and fly it is one of the best fights in the Center-West. In MT it was added to the zero-transport list; in MS the minimum size is 30 cm.
fun facts
- It is the most often seen fish on Bonito's float trips.
- Helps spread seeds of riparian trees.
how to recognize it
identification
Silver, elongated body with a greenish back. Reddish fins, orange-red tail with a black spot on the peduncle that runs along the central rays. Small mouth. The dorado is deep gold and has a large mouth with conical teeth. The piracanjuba looks similar but lives in the Paraná and Uruguay basins.
how piraputanga 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
Clear-water rivers at the edge of the Pantanal: Formoso, da Prata, Sucuri and Mimoso (Bonito and Jardim), Aquidauana, Miranda, Coxim, upper Taquari, Cuiabá, Manso and upper Paraguay.
Habitat: Rapids and backwaters of clear water under fruit trees, schools near rocks and logs.
native to the basins
Paraguay (Pantanal)
states
Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso
when to fish
best season
time of yearbest: May and Aug–Oct
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
April to October, with clean rivers. September and October, as the water warms, tend to be the best.
best time of day
Daytime. Active all day; in very clear water it feeds best early and late in the afternoon.
what affects the piraputanga
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 mornings keep the school deep; wait for the sun to warm the water.
atmospheric pressure
Little effect.
moon
Little effect.
rain
Bonito's rivers cloud little, but heavy rain muddies the larger rivers.
water level
Low, clear water concentrates the school in the rapids.
noise
Very wary. Move crouched, with no shadow over the pool, and use a fine leader.
wind
Wind knocks down fruit and insects and can activate the surface.
depth
Surface and mid-water, 0.3 to 2 m.
how to fish
- rod
- 5'6" to 6', fast action, 6 to 14 lb; fly #5 to #7
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 1000 to 2500
- line
- braided line 10 to 15 lb or monofilament 0.25 to 0.30 mm
- leader
- fluorocarbon 20 to 25 lb, 60 cm
- hook
- 1 to 2/0, short and strong
lures
- spinner #2 and #3
- small spoon 5 to 10 g
- surface plug 5 to 7 cm
- fruit fly, ant and small streamer flies
natural baits
- fruit (fig, ingá)
- green corn
- massa
- gafanhoto
- minhoca
accessories
- polarized glasses
- alicate
- rubber passaguá
tip from an angler
Cast the fruit-fly fly under the tree and let it drift without dragging. If the school spooks, wait 10 minutes in silence.
ready-made kit
tap-fishing for pacu
Boat fishing along flooded forest edges or banks with fruit trees, tapping the rod tip on the water to imitate falling fruit. A classic in the Pantanal during high water and early falling water.
ready-made kitgolden dorado in rapids
Boat fishing, anchored or drifting, in rivers with rapids and rock in the Paraná, Paraguay, Uruguay and São Francisco basins, with artificial lures and natural bait.
ready-made kitfly for peacock bass and golden dorado
Fly fishing in rivers and lakes of the Amazon and the Pantanal, from a boat or wading in shallow water.
guidehow to read the river
Where fish are in each type of water, from rapids and swirls to bay mouths and corixo channels, and how river level changes everything.
rules for the piraputanga
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Zero transport in MT: piraputanga on the banned list
transport, storage and trade banned until Dec 31, 2028MT
Art. 19-B bans for 5 years (since Jan 1, 2024) transporting, storing and trading piraputanga caught in rivers of MT. Recreational anglers may only keep up to 2 kg or 1 fish for consumption on site (within 500 m of the river), and art. 19-C excludes the species from art. 19-B: in practice, for this species, catch and release only. The law provides for an evaluation after 3 years (2027) that may revise the list. List checked in the consolidated text published by Sema-MT on May 29, 2026; Law 13.159/2025 did not change the list.
Source: Lei estadual MT nº 9.096/2009, arts. 19-B and 19-C (added by Lei nº 12.434/2024) - Sema-MT
Mato Grosso: Zero Transport for 12 species
MTParaguay (Pantanal)AmazonTocantins-Araguaia
Transport, storage and sale are fully prohibited for 5 years from Jan 1, 2024 for: cachara, caparari, dorado, jaú, matrinchã (Brycon spp.), pintado/surubim (Pseudoplatystoma spp.), piraíba, piraputanga, pirarara, arapaima (pirarucu), trairão and peacock bass (tucunaré, Cichla spp.). For recreational anglers: catch and release only. These 12 species may not even be eaten on site, since the 2 kg or 1 fish limit excludes the art. 19-B list. The law cites jaú as Zungaro zungaro; we also include the Pantanal jaú (Z. jahu) out of caution. The list may still change: § 2 (exotic and predatory species), § 3 (review through study) and the 3-year assessment planned for 2027. A TJMT news report of Jun 2, 2026 confirms the 12 prohibited species. The STF denied a preliminary injunction in the ADIs against the law in 2024; we found no merits ruling.
Minimum size: 30 cm
MSParaguay (Pantanal)Paraná
Source: Decreto estadual MS nº 15.166/2019, art. 9º (as amended by Decreto nº 15.375/2020)
Minimum size: 30 cm
MTParaguay (Pantanal)
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.
Use a rubber passaguá and remove the hook in the water. Agitated fish: release it right away, without a long photo.
in the kitchen
Tasty flesh with many fine bones; fried in very thin steaks.
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
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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 hilarii (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).
- official ICMBio/SALVE — Ficha de Brycon hilarii (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)National assessment by ICMBio, published in 2023. DOI verified on Crossref.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Brycon hilarii (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 06/10/2020)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- scientific Reys, P.; Sabino, J.; Galetti, M. (2009). Frugivory by the fish Brycon hilarii (Characidae) in western Brazil. Acta Oecologica 35(1): 136–141.Fruit diet of the piraputanga.
- scientific Lima, F. C. T. (2003). Characidae – Bryconinae (characins, tetras). In: Reis, R. E.; Kullander, S. O.; Ferraris Jr., C. J. (orgs.). Check List of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, p. 174–181.Printed book chapter; the URL is the bibliographic record on FishBase, which cites the chapter for the species.
