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jacundá

Lugubria lugubris · Cichlidae · predator

Freshwater

The largest jacundá of the Amazon. An ambush predator that takes the same lures as peacock bass in the Rio Negro and its tributaries.

Also called: jacundá, mariana, sabão

Scientific illustration of Jacundá
common size
20–30 cm
maximum
33 cm
common weight
0.1–0.3 kg
record/max.
0.5 kg
depth
0.5–4 m
ideal water
27–31 °C
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 jacundá

overview

who is the jacundá

A cichlid with a long body and large mouth, the jacundá ambushes among rocks, logs and snags on the bank. Lugubria lugubris, known until 2023 as Crenicichla lugubris, is one of the largest jacundás in the Amazon and lives in blackwater and clearwater rivers, such as the Negro, the Branco and the Uatumã. For sport anglers it is a frequent catch while peacock bass fishing: it attacks jigs, jerkbaits and mid-water plugs worked tight to the structure. For its size it fights with short, strong head shakes. Like other cichlids, the pair guards the eggs and young.

fun facts

  • Mariana, one of the common names, is also used for other jacundás.
  • Until 2023 it was classified in the genus Crenicichla; the ICMBio data sheet and the IUCN assessment still use the old name.
how to recognize it

identification

Elongated, nearly cylindrical body, long head and large mouth, with a more prominent lower jaw. Olive to grey coloration, with irregular dark spots or bars on the flank and a dark spot just behind the head, above the pectoral fin. Long dorsal fin, with spines at the front. Peacock basses have an ocellus on the tail and a taller body.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

Rio Negro, Branco and Uatumã rivers, in Amazonas and Roraima; outside Brazil, the Essequibo (Guyana) and Corantijn (Suriname) rivers.

Habitat: Banks with rocks, logs and snags, igapó and structured beaches in blackwater and clearwater rivers.

native to the basins

Amazon

states

Amazonas, Roraima

calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of yearbest: Aug–Nov
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Follows the peacock bass season: the dry season (September to December on the Rio Negro) concentrates the fish on banks with structure.

best time of day

0h6h12h18h sunrise ~6amsunset ~6pm

Daytime, with peaks at dawn and dusk. Hunts by day, with peaks in the early morning and late afternoon.

weather, water and behavior

what affects the jacundá
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.

cold and cold fronts

Cold snaps shut down activity for one to three days.

atmospheric pressure

Stable pressure helps.

moon

Little effect.

rain

A light drizzle doesn't matter; with a thunderstorm, get out of the water.

water level

A falling river concentrates the fish on banks with structure.

noise

Sensitive to hull knocks and to motors near the bank.

wind

Strong wind hinders precise casting to the structure.

depth

Shallow, 0.5 to 3 m, alongside the structure.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

rod
5'6" to 6', fast action, 10 to 20 lb
spinning / baitcasting reel
low-profile baitcasting reel or 2500 spinning reel
line
braid 20 to 30 lb
leader
fluorocarbon 30 to 40 lb
hook
treble hooks #2 to 1/0 or 1/0 jig hook

lures

  • feathered jig 1/8 to 1/4 oz
  • jerkbait 7 to 9 cm
  • spinner
  • streamer

natural baits

  • live lambari (where the rule allows)

accessories

  • long-nose pliers
  • polarized glasses

tip from an angler

Lure close to the snags, with long pauses: it leaves its lair and strikes on the pause.

what the law says

rules for the jacundá

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 national list (Portaria GM/MMA 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 Mato Grosso (all basins)

01/10 to 31/01MT

Allowed: All fishing modalities are prohibited in rivers, including catch and release (Law 9.096/2009, art. 19-A). Exceptions: subsistence fishing from shore (3 kg or 1 fish, no transport or sale) and scientific fishing. Law 13.159/2025 now allows licensed sport fishing in UHE/PCH hydropower reservoirs, natural lakes and border rivers, subject to a scientific study and a license from the environmental agency. We have not confirmed whether these licenses are already being issued.

Source: IN Interministerial MAPA/MMA nº 10/2017; Resolução Cepesca-MT nº 1/2026; Lei estadual MT nº 9.096/2009, arts. 19-A and 27 (Leis 12.434/2024 and 13.159/2025)

Closed season in the rivers of Marajó Island (PA)

01/01 to 30/04PA

Allowed: The same recreational-angler exceptions as in Portaria 48/2007 apply (handline or rod, 5 kg + 1 fish), unless a stricter state rule applies.

Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007

Closed season in the Amazon basin in Amapá

15/11 to 15/03AP

Allowed: Recreational anglers with handline or rod, line and hook are outside the Annex II prohibitions, with a bag limit of 5 kg + 1 fish, unless a stricter state rule applies.

Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007

Border rivers MT/RO and MT/PA

05/11 to 28/02MTROPA

Allowed: See the exceptions in Portaria 48/2007 and the state rules for each bank.

Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007

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.

Hold it by the mouth with pliers or a boga, support the belly, and release it next to the structure it came from.

in the kitchen

White, tasty meat, but the fish is small: fried whole.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00912, b = 3.1; FishBase). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.

estimated weight

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sources and references

The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.

  1. scientific FishBase — Lugubria lugubris (ficha da espécie)Names, distribution, biology, length-weight relationship and references. Page checked on October 13, 2026.
  2. 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)Most recent national list. The species is not on it (search by scientific name in the text published in the DOU, checked on October 13, 2026).
  3. official ICMBio/SALVE — Ficha de Crenicichla lugubris (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)ICMBio national assessment, published in 2025. DOI checked on Crossref.
  4. scientific IUCN Red List — Crenicichla lugubris (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 11/11/2020)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
  5. scientific Varella, H. R.; Kullander, S. O.; Menezes, N. A.; Oliveira, C.; López-Fernández, H. (2023). Revision of the generic classification of pike cichlids using an integrative phylogenetic approach (Cichlidae: tribe Geophagini: subtribe Crenicichlina). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.Revision that created the genus Lugubria for the jacundá-açu group. DOI checked in Crossref.
  6. scientific Kullander, S. O. (2003). Cichlidae (cichlids). In: Reis, R. E.; Kullander, S. O.; Ferraris Jr., C. J. (orgs.). Check List of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, p. 605–654.Printed book chapter; the URL is the bibliographic record on FishBase, which cites the chapter for the species.
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