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fishing forecast

threespot headstander

Pseudanos trimaculatus · Anostomidae · omnivore

Freshwateressential profile

A small piau from the Amazon basin and rivers of the Guianas, Peru and Ecuador. It forms schools and has commercial and aquarium use.

Also called: piau-de-três-manchas, anostomus de tres manchas, threespot headstander

Scientific illustration of Threespot headstander
maximum
19 cm
location

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period

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the species

everything about the threespot headstander

overview

who is the threespot headstander

The three-spot piau belongs to the family Anostomidae and reaches 19 cm. It occurs in the Amazon basin, with records in the Guaporé River in Brazil, and in rivers of the Guianas, Ecuador, Peru and Argentina. Adults form schools of 10 to 50 individuals in deeper water. It eats plants, and pairs breed in places with dense vegetation. It has commercial use and is also sold for aquariums, but it hardly ever turns up on the line of rod anglers.

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 threespot headstander; in the meantime, see the similar species.

how to recognize it

identification

Spindle-shaped body, with dark transverse bars on the back and usually two dark spots in the middle of the flank, sometimes three or four. The scientific name, trimaculatus, refers to the three spots, but the number varies. Do not confuse it with the three-spot leporinus (Leporinus friderici), which is much larger and has three round, distinct dots. This one reaches 19 cm and lives in schools in deeper water.

distribution

where found

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Amazon basin, with a record in the Guaporé River in Brazil, and in rivers of the Guianas (Essequibo and Rupununi), Ecuador, Peru and Argentina.

Habitat: Deeper waters of rivers, in schools of 10 to 50 fish, with dense vegetation for spawning.

native to the basins

Amazon
what the law says

rules for the threespot headstander

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 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.

Small fish: take the hook out carefully, in the water, and release it quickly.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01072, b = 3.04; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). 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: Pseudanos trimaculatus (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 Pseudanos trimaculatusNames 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.
don't confuse

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