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Illustration of Banded astyanax
fishing forecast

banded astyanax

Psalidodon fasciatus · full profile

location

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period

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the species

everything about the banded astyanax

how to recognize it

A spindle-shaped, silvery body, with the red tail that gives the fish its name. Among the lambaris, it is told apart from the yellow-tailed lambari (Astyanax lacustris) by tail color: red here, yellow to orange there. The branca (Oligosarcus jenynsii), from the south, is a relative, but it reaches 31 cm and has a larger mouth with visible teeth, while this lambari does not exceed 17 cm.

Also called: lambari-do-rabo-vermelho, piaba-rabo-vermelho, lambari, colirroja, banded astyanax

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

Where to look: Streams and rivers without strong current, as well as still areas such as lagoons and backwaters.

It occurs in almost all freshwater basins of Latin America, from Mexico to Argentina. In Brazil it appears in rivers of the Northeast, Southeast and South.

native to the basins

Eastern Northeast AtlanticSão FranciscoEast AtlanticSoutheast AtlanticSouth AtlanticParanáParaguay (Pantanal)Uruguay

rules for the banded astyanax

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.

piracema and closed seasons

Each bar is the period when fishing is prohibited or restricted. The green line is today. Tap the name to see what is still allowed.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Spawning closure (piracema) in the Paraná River basin
01/11 to 28/02SPPRMGGOMSDF

Allowed: Recreational fishing only for non-native species and hybrids (peacock bass, tilapia, black bass, carp, croaker, etc.; piauçu remains prohibited), with handline, simple pole, or rod with spinning or baitcasting reel, up to 10 kg + 1 fish. In rivers, from shore only; in reservoirs, from a boat or from shore. Prohibited: floodplain lakes, aquatic-animal bait, within 1,500 m of dams and waterfalls, and within 500 m of confluences. Tournaments only in reservoirs and only with non-native species.

Source: IN IBAMA nº 25/2009

Spawning closure (piracema) in Minas Gerais (state rule)
01/11 to 28/02MG

Allowed: Only exotic or hybrid species, 3 kg + 1 fish per day, with handline, rod, simple pole, or spinning or baitcasting reel. Nets prohibited. Keep the minimum distances from dams and reservoirs.

Source: Portarias IEF nº 154/2011 (São Francisco), 155/2011 (East) and 156/2011 (Grande/Paranaíba)

Closed season in Goiás (state rule)
01/11 to 28/02GO

Allowed: Sport and guided fishing only in reservoirs, catch and release with barbless hooks (no keeping, transporting or eating). Subsistence: up to 5 kg per day, for household consumption only.

Source: IN Semad-GO nº 17/2026, arts. 8º to 11

Spawning closure (piracema) in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul
05/11 to 28/02MS

Allowed: Subsistence fishing by riverside residents and authorized scientific fishing. Decree 15.166/2019 (art. 11, §5) allows catch and release only in February and only in the channels of the Paraguay and Paraná rivers. For the rest of the period, not even catch and release is allowed. Check the Imasul portaria for each season.

Source: Decreto estadual MS nº 15.166/2019, art. 11; IN IBAMA nº 201/2008

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)

Spawning closure (piracema) in the São Francisco River basin (rivers and reservoirs)
01/11 to 28/02MGBAPEALSEGODF

Allowed: Recreational fishing from a boat or from shore with handline, rod, spinning or baitcasting reel, up to 5 kg + 1 fish. Prohibited within 1,000 m of dams, waterfalls and rapids, and within 500 m of confluences. Floodplain lakes have a longer closed season (see next item).

Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 50/2007

São Francisco: floodplain lakes
01/11 to 30/04MGBAPEALSEGODF

Allowed: No fishing in the floodplain lakes during the period.

Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 50/2007

Spawning closure (piracema) in the Uruguay River basin
01/10 to 31/01RSSC

Allowed: Recreational fishing from shore, or from a boat without motor. Only handline or rod, line and hook, one gear per angler, up to 5 kg. Prohibited in floodplain lakes, within 1,500 m of dams, within 500 m of confluences, and in stretches listed in the rule (e.g., Turvo River).

Source: IN IBAMA nº 193/2008

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

Closed season in the Ceará basins
01/02 to 30/04CE

Allowed: Recreational fishing with handline or rod is outside the prohibition.

Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 04/2008

Conservation: Not on the Brazilian national list (Ministerial Ordinance GM/MMA No. 1.667/2026).

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

estimated weight

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how we calculate

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01318, b = 3.07; 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 banded astyanax

The red-tailed lambari belongs to the family Acestrorhamphidae and reaches 17 cm, with a common size of 12 cm. It lives in streams and rivers without strong current and in still areas such as lagoons and backwaters. It occurs in almost all freshwater basins of Latin America, from Mexico to Argentina. It is an active, lively fish that eats small fish and pieces of meat. It has little commercial use and sometimes ends up on the table, with tasty flesh full of bones. Because of its small size, it turns up on the line of anglers using light rods.

Family: Acestrorhamphidae · omnivore

in the kitchen

Sometimes it ends up on the table: the flesh is tasty, but it has many bones.

similar species

sources and references (3)

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: Psalidodon fasciatus (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 Psalidodon fasciatusNames 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.