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fishing forecast

cascudo-leopardo

Pseudacanthicus leopardus · Loricariidae · omnivore

Freshwateressential profile

Armored catfish endemic to Guyana, from the Rupununi River basin, reaching 15 cm. Used in the aquarium trade and commercial fishing.

Also called: cascudo-leopardo, cascudo, acari

Scientific illustration of Cascudo-leopardo
maximum
15 cm
location

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period

Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…

the species

everything about the cascudo-leopardo

overview

who is the cascudo-leopardo

The leopard cascudo is a freshwater armored catfish of the family Loricariidae, reaching 15 cm. It is endemic to Guyana, in the Rupununi River basin, in tropical water at 24 to 27 °C. It lives on the bottom of rivers and has an armored body, with bony plates and spines that serve as defense. It has commercial use in the aquarium and in fishing. It is not a rod-and-reel species and has little interest for recreational angling.

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-leopardo.

how to recognize it

identification

Armored catfish with bony plates and strong spines, of small size, reaching 15 cm. The name refers to the dark leopard-like spots on its body. It lives in the Rupununi River basin in Guyana, and occurring in a single country and a single river helps identify the species. Handle it with care because of the spines.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

Rupununi River basin, in Guyana, in tropical freshwater. Endemic to the country.

Habitat: Bottom of tropical rivers in the Rupununi River basin, Guyana.

what the law says

rules for the cascudo-leopardo

Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.

We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.

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.

The spines and plates can cut. Hold it with a cloth or glove and release it right away.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01549, b = 2.96; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). 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.

  1. scientific FishBase: Pseudacanthicus leopardus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Pseudacanthicus leopardusNames by country and language.