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.
catalog
Callichthyidae · omnivore
spotted hoplo
Megalechis picta
Armored catfish of swamps and flooded savannas in the Amazon and the Guianas, which buries itself in the mud during the dry season. It is caught with nets, and its flesh is prized in the region.
Also called: tamboatá-manchado, tamboatá, tamoatá, caracha, spotted hoplo
- maximum
- 17 cm
- record/max.
- 0.3 kg
overview
who is the spotted hoplo
The spotted tamboatá is an armored catfish of the family Callichthyidae, with a body protected by bony plates and barbels around the mouth. Reaches 17 centimeters and up to 350 grams. It lives in lagoons, swamps and flooded savannas, and sometimes in streams with strong current. It is omnivorous and breathes air through its intestine, which lets it live in water low in oxygen. In the dry season, when the swamp empties, it buries itself in the mud, 15 to 25 centimeters deep, and waits for the first rains. In the rainy season, the male builds its nest in shallow swamps. It is caught with nets, and its flesh is prized.
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 spotted hoplo; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- It breathes air through its intestine and survives buried in the mud during the dry season.
- In the past, fishers drained the swamps to dig the fish out.
how to recognize it
identification
Armored catfish with a body covered in bony plates and barbels around the mouth, like the whole family Callichthyidae. It has dark marks scattered over its body, and that is what helps tell it apart from the tamoatá (Hoplosternum littorale), which looks similar and lives in the same habitats. Since both are swamp armored catfish, check the body markings and the fishing location.
how spotted hoplo 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.
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.
distribution
open on the large map where found
It occurs in the Amazon and Orinoco basins and in coastal rivers of the Guianas and northern Brazil, in swamps, lagoons and flooded savannas, in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, the Guianas and Trinidad and Tobago.
Habitat: Lagoons, swamps and flooded savannas, with still water and muddy bottoms, and sometimes streams with strong current.
native to the basins
AmazonTocantins-AraguaiaWestern Northeast Atlantic
rules for the spotted hoplo
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.
Spawning closure (piracema) in the Araguaia River basin
01/11 to 28/02GOTOPAMT
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.
Spawning closure (piracema) in the Tocantins and Gurupi river basins
01/11 to 28/02TOPAMAGO
Allowed: Recreational fishing only in reservoirs, with on-site consumption. Subsistence: 5 kg + 1 fish. State rules may be stricter.
Spawning closure (piracema) in Tocantins (state rule)
01/11 to 28/02TO
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
Closed season in the Maranhão basins
01/12 to 30/03MA
Allowed: Recreational fishing from a boat or from shore with handline or rod, up to 5 kg or 1 fish. Transport only within the municipality. Competitions prohibited.
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 85/2003
Closed season in the rivers of Marajó Island (PA)
01/01 to 30/04PA
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
Closed season in the Amazon basin in Amapá
15/11 to 15/03AP
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
Closed season in Roraima
01/03 to 30/06RR
Allowed: Subsistence fishing only.
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007
Border rivers MT/RO and MT/PA
05/11 to 28/02MTROPA
Allowed: See the exceptions in Portaria 48/2007 and the state rules for each bank.
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007
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.
It has spines on the pectoral and dorsal fins that can prick. Hold it carefully and remove the hook without forcing it.
in the kitchen
Its flesh is prized, and the species is caught with nets.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.02455, b = 2.96; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). 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.
- scientific FishBase: Megalechis picta (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Megalechis pictaNames by country and language.
- 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 not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.
