Skip to content
Illustration of Bocachico
fishing forecast

bocachico

Prochilodus magdalenae · full profile

location

Sample location: choose yours to see the forecast for where you fish.

period

Loading the forecast…

the species

everything about the bocachico

how to recognize it

Robust, elongated fish with a downturned mouth and thick lips, like other curimatãs. Reaches 51 cm. It can be confused with the reticulated curimatã (Prochilodus reticulatus), which lives in Lake Maracaibo and is much smaller, up to 28 cm. The Atrato, Sinú and Cauca-Magdalena basins, only in Colombia, are the best field clue.

Also called: curimatã-colombiana, bocachico, curimatã

don't confuse with:

We don't have tips on season, bait or technique for this species yet.

Where to look: Tropical rivers of Colombia, from midwater to the bottom.

Colombia, in the Atrato, Sinú and Cauca-Magdalena river basins, in tropical freshwater.

rules for the bocachico

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.

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

estimated weight

—

how we calculate

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01862, 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%.

more about the bocachico

The Colombian curimatã is a freshwater prochilodontid of the family Prochilodontidae, reaching 51 cm and weighing up to 905 g. It occurs in Colombia, in the Atrato, Sinú and Cauca-Magdalena river basins, in tropical water, and is endemic to the country. It lives in the midwater and near the bottom, and has a robust body with the mouth turned downward, typical of curimatãs. Like others in the family, it feeds on detritus and bottom mud. For anglers, it is more of a net fish than a rod fish.

Family: Prochilodontidae · detritivore

similar species

sources and references (2)

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: Prochilodus magdalenae (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 Prochilodus magdalenaeNames by country and language.