matrinxã-centro-americana
Brycon behreae · Bryconidae · omnivore
Silver fish from fast-flowing rivers of Costa Rica and Panama, up to 26.5 cm. It is known among sport anglers in the region.
Also called: matrinxã-centro-americana, sábalo, sábalo pipón
- maximum
- 26 cm
- record/max.
- 2.3 kg
the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
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hour by hour
slide your finger or mouse over the chart to see each hoursee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
choose the day
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the matrinxã-centro-americana
who is the matrinxã-centro-americana
The Central American matrinxã is a fish of the family Bryconidae and reaches 26.5 cm standard length and 2.3 kg, with reports of up to 40 cm total length. It lives in rivers and streams with moderate to strong current, between 10 and 640 meters above sea level, on the Pacific and Atlantic slopes of Panama and the Pacific slope of Costa Rica. It swims upriver to find small tributaries, where it spawns in a nest dug in the sandy bottom. It is omnivorous and eats fruit, flowers, seeds, insects, annelids, crustaceans and small fish. It is popular among sport anglers in the region.
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 matrinxã-centro-americana; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- It swims up rivers to spawn in small tributaries, where it digs its nest in the sand.
identification
Silver-bodied fish with a gray-green back and a silvery-white belly. Traits that help identify this species: a thin black stripe just behind the operculum and a rhomboid black spot on the tail, whose color extends to the tips of the caudal fin rays. The body is fusiform. Other bryconids in the region look similar, so the stripe and the spot are what set this species apart.
where found
Pacific and Atlantic slopes of Panama, and Pacific slope of Costa Rica, in rivers with current.
Habitat: Rivers and streams with moderate to strong current, with sandy bottoms for spawning.
rules for the matrinxã-centro-americana
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.
Fast-river fish with a strong body: hold it carefully, by the body, and release it quickly after the photo, facing into the current.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01413, b = 3.05; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa pelo gênero e formato do corpo)). 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.
- scientific FishBase: Brycon behreae (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Brycon behreaeNames by country and language.
similar species
where each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: