Beiradeira
The beiradeira is a small, schooling characin native to the Amazon basin that turns up in commercial catches and occasionally on hook-and-line throughout Amazonian Brazil.
Rarely the primary target, it gets caught incidentally by anglers working the same swift, rocky runs that hold larger species — and it matters to local subsistence fishers who value it as a food fish.
Scientific Name: Brycon pesu
Also known as Beiradeira, Mourning tetra
- Compact, torpedo-shaped body typical of the Brycon family; silvery sides with a distinctive black band across the caudal fin — the clearest field mark for this species complex.
- Black or darkened adipose fin, which helps separate it from similar small Brycon species sharing the same water.
- Small by Brycon standards: most fish run well under 20 cm in length, with published maximum weight under 90 grams — closer to a large tetra than a game fish.
- Some populations in the Araguaia/Tocantins drainage show a red stripe in the anal fin; others do not — a difference that may indicate separate species within the complex.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native to Brazil; found throughout the Amazon River basin, including the Araguaia/Tocantins drainage, where distinct color-form populations have been documented.
- A schooling species that favors swift, well-oxygenated water running over sand and rock — the kind of current-swept habitat common across Amazonian tributaries.
- Benthopelagic in habit, meaning it moves through the water column but stays associated with the bottom structure of fast-water reaches.
- Range extends into rivers of the Guyana Shield region bordering northern Brazil, and into the Orinoco basin beyond Brazil's borders.
Key Locations
- Amazon basin broadly, including major tributaries across Amazonian Brazil where swift, rocky water is present.
- Araguaia and Tocantins drainages, where genetically distinct populations within the B. pesu complex have been documented.
Specific Spots
- Rocky runs and sand-bottomed riffles in swift tributaries — the beiradeira swims these sections almost constantly and schools tightly in moving water.
- Current breaks behind boulders or submerged rock outcroppings, where the fish can hold without fighting the full force of the current while staying close to food washing downstream.
- Shallow, fast chutes between forested islands, a common feature of rivers like the Xingu where basalt outcroppings break up the flow.
Beiradeira FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Beiradeira?
Small spinners, tiny jigs, or natural baits such as fruit pieces and insects match the beiradeira's omnivorous diet and small mouth. Local subsistence fishers typically use simple hook-and-line rigs with natural bait.
How do you catch Beiradeira?
The beiradeira is rarely a deliberate target for sport anglers in Brazil; it appears most often in subsistence and small-scale commercial catches taken from swift Amazonian rivers. Anglers who do pursue it work fast, rocky runs with light tackle and small natural baits.
What do Beiradeira eat?
Omnivorous, eats both plant material (fruits, seeds falling from riparian vegetation) and small invertebrates. This mix is typical of Brycon species, which are known as fruit-eaters in the aquarium trade.
Where do Beiradeira live?
Native to Brazil; found throughout the Amazon River basin, including the Araguaia/Tocantins drainage, where distinct color-form populations have been documented.
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