Skip to content
fishing forecast

curimatã-do-equador

Ichthyoelephas humeralis · Prochilodontidae · detritivore

FreshwaterIUCN global: NT · near threatenedessential profile

Curimatã from Ecuador, from the Guayas and Santiago river basins, reaching 24 cm. It has commercial fishing and is raised in aquaculture.

Also called: curimatã-do-equador, bocachico, ratón, guavina, boquichico

Scientific illustration of Curimatã-do-Equador
maximum
24 cm
location

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

period

Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…

the species

everything about the curimatã-do-equador

overview

who is the curimatã-do-equador

The Ecuadorian curimatã is a freshwater prochilodontid of the family Prochilodontidae, reaching 24 cm. It is native to Ecuador, in the Guayas and Santiago river basins, in the midwater and near the bottom, in tropical water. It has the elongated, robust body of curimatãs, with the mouth turned downward. It has commercial fishing and is raised in aquaculture systems. For rod-and-reel anglers it is not a featured species, but it is part of local commercial 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 curimatã-do-equador; in the meantime, see the similar species.

how to recognize it

identification

Elongated, robust fish with a downturned mouth and thick lips, like curimatãs. Reaches 24 cm. Lives in the Guayas and Santiago river basins in Ecuador. The curimatã (Prochilodus nigricans) also occurs in Ecuador, but on the Amazonian side of the country, and is larger.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

Guayas and Santiago river basins in Ecuador, in tropical freshwater.

Habitat: Rivers of the Guayas and Santiago basins in Ecuador, in the midwater and on the bottom.

what the law says

rules for the curimatã-do-equador

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.

No known danger to anglers. Hold it with both hands and release it right away.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.0166, b = 2.98; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.

estimated weight

—

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: Ichthyoelephas humeralis (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 Ichthyoelephas humeralisNames by country and language.
don't confuse

similar species