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fishing forecast

river goby

Awaous banana · Gobiidae · omnivore

FreshwaterEstuaryessential profile

River goby of clear, flowing rivers, from Florida and Mexico to northern South America, reaching 30 cm. In Brazil there are few old records from coastal rivers.

Also called: gobião-de-rio, gobio de río, guavina, lamearena, river goby

Scientific illustration of River goby
maximum
30 cm
location

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period

Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…

the species

everything about the river goby

overview

who is the river goby

The gobião-de-rio belongs to the family Gobiidae and reaches 30 cm standard length, with females smaller, up to 24.4. It lives in rivers and streams of clear water, over sand and gravel, but also appears in murky waters over mud bottoms. It prefers flowing, well-oxygenated water. It is amphidromous: it migrates between fresh water and the sea. It feeds mainly on filamentous algae. It occurs from the southern United States and the Antilles to northern South America, and in the Pacific from Mexico to Peru. It has commercial use.

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 river goby.

fun facts

  • It is amphidromous: it migrates between fresh water and the sea.
how to recognize it

identification

Elongated goby, with two separate dorsal fins and the pelvic fins joined into a sucker, as in gobies in general. In Brazil, records are few and old, in coastal rivers between Bahia and Paraná. It reaches 30 cm and lives in flowing water, over sand and gravel.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

Occurs from Florida and Mexico to Venezuela and, in the Pacific, to Peru, in countries such as Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. In Brazil there are few old records from coastal rivers, between Bahia and Paraná.

Habitat: Rivers and streams of clear, flowing water over sand and gravel, and murky waters over mud bottoms, with passages through the estuary.

native to the basins

East AtlanticSoutheast AtlanticSouth Atlantic

coast

Northeast CoastSoutheast CoastSouth Coastcoastal
what the law says

rules for the river goby

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

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

Spawning closure (piracema) in the Southeast basins

01/11 to 28/02ESMGRJSPPR

Allowed: In rivers, shore fishing only; in reservoirs, from a boat or from shore. Only non-native species, hybrids, and giant river prawn (camarão-gigante-da-malásia), up to 10 kg + 1 fish. Prohibited in floodplain lakes and within 1,000 m of dams.

Source: IN IBAMA nº 195/2008

Spawning closure (piracema) in the East basins

01/11 to 28/02BAESMGSE

Allowed: Same rules as the Southeast basins: only non-native species and hybrids, up to 10 kg + 1 fish; in rivers, shore fishing only.

Source: IN IBAMA nº 196/2008

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 venom and no dangerous spines. Hold it with a wet hand, remove the hook without forcing it and release it quickly.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00891, b = 3.13; 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.

  1. scientific FishBase: Awaous banana (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 Awaous bananaNames by country and language.
  3. 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.