Spawning closure (piracema) in the southern basins (RS and SC, outside the Uruguay)
01/11 to 31/01RSSC
Allowed: Recreational fishing from a boat or from shore, with a single hook, one gear per angler, up to 5 kg.
Source: IN IBAMA nº 197/2008
fishing forecast
cascudo-barriga-miúda
Rineloricaria microlepidogaster · Loricariidae · detritivore
Small armored catfish, up to 19 cm, from the Patos Lagoon basin in Rio Grande do Sul. It has commercial and aquarium use, and is hardly a target for sport fishing.
Also called: cascudo-barriga-miúda, vieja
- maximum
- 19 cm
fishing forecast
the right time
the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
0—
index Score from 0 to 100 for the fishing conditions of each hour. It reads weather, sun, moon, tide and the species' habits. It doesn't promise fish: it tells you when the water is on your side. 0–24 poor · 25–44 fair · 45–64 good · 65–84 very good · 85–100 excellent.
today
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confidence —
confidence How much you can trust the weather forecast for the day. It drops with distance and when the models disagree. It is not the chance of catching fish.
models and trend Up to 16 days, three global weather models (the European ECMWF, the American GFS and a high-resolution blend) read hour by hour; when they disagree, the light band on the chart widens. Beyond that it's a trend: 31 runs of the American GEFS model. Confirm when it's 1 week out.
window Consecutive hours with the index near the day's peak and no danger alert. It is the time to have the bait in the water.
hour by hour
slide your finger or mouse over the chart to see each hoursee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
next 7 days
chart: bar height = day's index · line = variation between models · striped = trend · fainter = less confidencechoose the day
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.
4-week calendar
the fishing month at a glance
plan a trip
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
the species
everything about the cascudo-barriga-miúda
overview
who is the cascudo-barriga-miúda
The cascudo-barriga-miúda belongs to the family Loricariidae and is a small, elongated armored catfish, reaching 19.3 cm. It lives in rivers with slow or fast current, in clear or brown water, over rock, sand or mud bottoms. It occurs in the Patos Lagoon basin in Rio Grande do Sul, and has also been reported in the Paraná basin in Argentina. It even turns up in polluted areas. It has commercial and aquarium use, but little importance in sport fishing.
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 cascudo-barriga-miúda.
how to recognize it
identification
Slender, elongated armored catfish, its belly covered in plates and spots spread over all the fins. It reaches 19.3 cm. It lives in the Patos Lagoon basin in Rio Grande do Sul, in rivers with rock, sand or mud bottoms. The plated belly and spotted fins are the traits that set it apart from other armored catfish of the same genus in the region.
distribution
open on the large map where found
Occurs in the Patos Lagoon basin in Rio Grande do Sul, and has also been reported in the Paraná basin in Argentina.
Habitat: Rivers with slow or fast current, with rock, sand or mud bottoms.
native to the basins
South Atlantic
rules for the cascudo-barriga-miúda
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
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.
Not dangerous. It has plates on the body that can hurt your hand: hold it carefully and return it to the water quickly.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00457, b = 3.1; 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: Rineloricaria microlepidogaster (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Rineloricaria microlepidogasterNames 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.
how we calculate
where each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: