Cichla temensis
The largest peacock bass and the trophy fish of Amazonian sport fishing. Strikes surface lures with explosive force.
Also called: tucunaré-paca (fase pintada), açu, paca
The largest peacock bass and the main trophy of freshwater sport fishing in Brazil. It lives in blackwater and clearwater rivers, poor in nutrients, such as the Negro and its tributaries, where it hunts fish along banks, sunken logs, beaches and lake mouths. It is territorial and aggressive: it strikes from hunger, to defend its nest, or out of pure irritation. In the dry season, with low rivers and isolated lakes, fish concentrate and fishing pays off. The pair clears a nest on firm bottom and guards the young for weeks. Fish over 8 kg are old and rare, which is why serious operators work only catch and release.
Elongated, robust body, three dark vertical bars and a large ocellus at the base of the tail. Outside spawning season the paca phase appears: grey body with rows of light spots. During spawning it turns golden, with strong bars and a nuchal hump. The borboleta is smaller and has three round ocelli on the flank instead of bars. The popoca has faded bars and never has light spots. Only the açu clearly exceeds 70 cm.
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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.
Blackwater and clearwater rivers and lakes of the Amazon, especially the Rio Negro and its tributaries (Unini, Jufari, Demeni, Itapará, Xeriuini, Água Boa do Univini), Rio Branco and lower Trombetas.
Habitat: Várzea and igapó lakes, banks with fallen logs, sand beaches in the dry season, mouths of igarapés and lakes.
native to the basins
states
Amazonas, Roraima, Pará
Dry season concentrates fish in lakes and along banks. On the Rio Negro the season runs from September to December; in the tributaries of Roraima the water drops later, from December to March.
Daytime, with peaks at dawn and dusk. Active during the day, peaking in the first hours after sunrise and in late afternoon. At night it practically stops.
Friagem (cold spells) shuts activity down for 1 to 3 days.
Stable pressure helps. A fast drop before a storm usually gives a short peak.
Small effect. On a full moon it strikes better in the first hours.
Light rain doesn't bother it. Thunderstorm with lightning: get out of the water.
Falling or low river: fish concentrated. In high water it moves into the igapó and spreads out.
Very sensitive to hull knocks and to a motor near the bank. Approach by paddle or electric motor.
Light chop helps noisy surface lures. Strong wind hurts precise casting.
Shallow, 0.5 to 3 m, most of the day. Drops into pools when the sun gets very hot.
lures
natural baits
accessories
Work the zara fast and don't stop the lure after the first missed strike: the açu comes back.
Trip on a live-aboard boat or at a lodge on the Rio Negro and its tributaries, in the dry season, after speckled peacock bass with surface and mid-water lures.
ready-made kitFly fishing in rivers and lakes of the Amazon and the Pantanal, from a boat or wading in shallow water.
guideHow the brakes work, how to set spool tension, how to use your thumb, and what to do when backlash appears.
guideWhat the numbers and letters engraved on the rod mean, and how to match rod, line, lure and reel for each kind of fishing.
guideHow to choose gear by its number, rig the backing, line, leader and tippet, make a basic cast, and which flies to use for peacock bass, golden dorado and snook.
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 of threatened species (Portaria GM/MMA 1.667/2026).
In the Rio Negro basin, from the Colombian border to the mouth of the Rio Branco, commercial peacock bass fishing is banned. Amateur and sport fishing remain allowed, but the fish may only be eaten by the angler himself; selling or displaying it for sale is prohibited.
Source: Decreto estadual nº 31.151/2011 (AM), Ipaam enforcement
In the Água Boa do Univini, Itapará, Xeruini and Jufari rivers, commercial and amateur peacock bass fishing is banned. Only riverside subsistence applies (up to 7 fish per boat), along with catch-and-release sport fishing by operators licensed by Femarh. The original term was 5 years from November 2021; in 2025 the ALE-RR approved an extension to 10 years, including the Jauaperi, but the enactment has not been confirmed. Confirm with the state agency (Femarh).
Source: Lei estadual nº 1.540/2021 (RR); PL 167/2024 (extension)
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.
In Amazonas it is prohibited for recreational and sport anglers to kill tucunaré-açu (Cichla temensis), tucunaré-vazzoleri (Cichla vazzoleri) and tucunaré-pinima (Cichla pinima): the fish must be released alive. Commercial fishing for these three species is also prohibited. The original law (6.647/2023) banned killing all peacock bass; Law 7.208/2024 narrowed the rule to these three. The same law prohibits live bait when fishing for peacock bass (art. 17) and provides for a peacock bass closed season, still to be regulated, without preventing catch and release.
Source: Lei estadual AM nº 6.647/2023, arts. 7º, 8º and 17, as amended by Lei nº 7.208/2024
Commercial and recreational peacock bass fishing is prohibited in the Água Boa do Univini, Itapará, Xeruini, Jufari and Jauaperi rivers and their tributaries. Only sport fishing, by companies licensed by Femarh with a maximum of 2 barbless hooks per bait, and subsistence fishing by riverside residents, are allowed.
Source: Lei estadual RR nº 1.540/2021, amended by Lei nº 2.112/2025
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: 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 mouth with a lip grip (boga) and support the belly; a big fish should not hang vertically. Quick photo, release it in the shade and hold it in the water until it swims off on its own.
White, firm flesh without intermuscular bones. Grilled over coals, fried in steaks or in fish stew. In Amazonas and the lower Rio Branco (RR), speckled peacock bass is catch and release only, by state law. Outside these areas, follow the state rule, keep only medium fish and release the big breeders.
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01122, b = 3.08; FishBase (bayesiano, estimado pelo gênero/forma do corpo)). 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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