Cichla piquiti
Five-bar peacock bass from the Tocantins-Araguaia, strong and aggressive, now spread across large reservoirs in the Southeast and Center-West.
Also called: tucunaré-azul, azul
Native to the Tocantins-Araguaia basin, the blue peacock bass was introduced to reservoirs in Paraná and São Francisco, where it became the main target of many fishing trips. It prefers clear water deeper than the yellow: rocky bottoms, island points, stake fields on banks and channel edges. It hunts lambari, small curimba and other peacock bass, alone or in small groups. It fights with strong bursts and tends to dive to the bottom instead of jumping. Like the yellow, it depends on warm water: below 20 °C it almost stops eating. In Southeast reservoirs the season is the warm period; in Tocantins, the winter dry season.
Five dark, narrow vertical bars on the flank, separated by light bands, and a black ocellus with a golden ring at the base of the tail. Greenish to bluish back. Lower fins orange. The yellow has three bars and white spots on the ventral and anal fins. The açu also has three bars. Counting the bars settles it: five is blue.
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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.
Native to the Tocantins and lower Araguaia, including reservoirs such as Serra da Mesa, Lajeado and Tucuruí. Introduced to reservoirs on the Grande, Paranaíba, Tietê and Paraná rivers, and to the São Francisco.
Habitat: Rocky bottoms, island points, stake fields and timber on banks, channel edges and reservoir coves with clear water.
native to the basins
introduced in
states
Tocantins, Goiás, Pará, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná, Bahia
In Tocantins the best period is the dry season, from July to October. In Southeast reservoirs it fishes well from September to March and drops off sharply in winter.
Daytime, with peaks at dawn and dusk. Feeds by day. The first hours of morning and late afternoon are the best times at the surface; at midday with the sun overhead it drops to rocky bottom and channel.
A cold front on a Southeast reservoir shuts down fishing for days. Below 20 °C in the water, it almost never strikes.
Stable pressure and several warm days in a row make the ideal scenario.
Small effect.
Heavy rain muddies the water and hurts surface fishing.
A falling reservoir exposes rocky bottoms and points: the fish become easier to find.
Sensitive to motor noise in shallow, clear water. Turn it off before reaching the spot.
Light chop helps at the surface. Strong wind on a big reservoir hurts and is dangerous.
Shallow in the morning and afternoon; 3 to 8 m on rocky bottom and channel in the hot hours.
lures
natural baits
accessories
When the blue won't come up, drop the lure: a shad or jig bouncing on the rocky bottom catches big fish at midday.
Boat fishing in large reservoirs in SP, MG, GO, MS and PR, where blue and yellow peacock bass were introduced. Clear water, pressured fish and plenty of submerged structure.
ready-made kitFly fishing in rivers and lakes of the Amazon and the Pantanal, from a boat or wading in shallow water.
guideUnderstand how sonar sees underwater, what each mark on the screen means, and how to adjust the unit to find bottom, structure and fish.
guideHow to read down imaging, side imaging and live sonar to find structure, confirm fish and get back to the right spot.
guidePressure, cold fronts, friagem (cold spells), wind, rain and water temperature: what changes in fish behavior, and how to read the app's index, confidence and forecast horizon.
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). Outside the Tocantins-Araguaia it is an exotic species that pressures native fish.
In Tocantins it is only allowed to keep blue peacock bass between 30 and 50 cm, measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail. Fish outside the window go back into the water. Under Portaria NATURATINS nº 44/2026, until February 2029 amateur and sport anglers may only transport one native fish per angler.
Source: Portaria NATURATINS/GABIN nº 47/2026 (annexes amended by Portaria nº 105/2026)
Until December 31, 2028, peacock bass (Cichla spp.) caught in Mato Grosso rivers may not be transported, stored or sold. Amateur anglers may only practice catch and release; the on-site consumption quota does not apply to the 12 species on the list. The law is being challenged at the STF (ADIs 7471, 7514 and 7590), but the injunction was denied in 2024.
Source: Lei estadual nº 12.434/2024 (MT), arts. 19-B and 19-C of Lei 9.096/2009
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.
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
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
Lip grip (boga) in the mouth and hand under the belly, quick photo. In a deep reservoir, a fish brought up from more than 8 m can suffer decompression: release it quickly and hold it until it swims.
White, firm, tasty flesh. Fried fillet, grilled over coals or moqueca (fish stew).
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01479, b = 3.04; FishBase (bayesiano, espécie + gênero)). 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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