Chicote
The chicote is a large pimelodid catfish native to the Amazon and Orinoco basins, including Brazil's Amazon system.
Despite growing to impressive lengths, it has a reputation among riverside communities as poor table fare — locals along the Amazon have long dried the carcasses for firewood, which is how it earned the name peixe-lenha.
Sport anglers targeting giant catfish in the Amazon occasionally land chicote as a bonus catch alongside piraíba and pirarara.
Scientific Name: Sorubimichthys planiceps
Also known as Peixe-lenha, Piraiapena, Pirambucu, Pirauacá, Achacubo, Firewood catfish
- Extremely flat, elongated head with a long upper jaw and prominent barbels — the flat snout is the most reliable field ID mark separating it from other large pimelodids.
- Slender, laterally compressed body with a distinctly elongated profile compared to the stockier piraíba or pirarara.
- Rod-and-reel catches run to around 16 kg (35 lb) and roughly 145 cm; specimens over 50 kg and 150 cm have been recorded by other methods.
- Juveniles show bold patterning that fades with age; adults are generally drab, brownish above and pale below.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native to Brazil — found throughout the Amazon River basin, including the main channel and major tributaries such as the Rio Negro and Rio Roosevelt.
- A bottom-oriented, freshwater species of tropical, large-river systems; it does not occur in Brazil's coastal or Pantanal drainages.
- Tends to occupy deeper sections of large rivers and flooded channels rather than shallow backwaters.
Key Locations
- Amazon River main stem, Brazil — where the rod-and-reel world record of 16 kg was landed in 2011.
- Rio Roosevelt, Amazonas state — a productive giant-catfish river where chicote turns up alongside piraíba and pirarara.
- Rio Negro and its tributaries — large-river habitat consistent with the species' range in the Brazilian Amazon.
Specific Spots
- Deep river channels and main-stem holes where large catfish concentrate — the same structure that holds piraíba and pirarara.
- Undercut banks and submerged timber in large Amazonian rivers; demersal by nature, it stays close to the bottom.
- Current seams near deep drop-offs, where drifting baitfish and other swimming prey funnel past resting fish at night.
Chicote FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Chicote?
Large cut or whole baitfish fished on the bottom, the standard approach for big catfish throughout the Amazon system; local fresh bait sourced at the lodge or camp is the practical choice.
When is the best time to fish for Chicote?
Low-water season (roughly July–November) concentrates fish in main channels and deep holes, making them more accessible to bottom-fishing from boats. The Roosevelt Lodge reports April–May as particularly productive for giant catfish species in that drainage, when fish are active ahead of or during falling water.
How do you catch Chicote?
Chicote are rarely targeted deliberately by sport anglers in Brazil; most rod-and-reel catches come while fishing heavy bottom rigs with large baitfish for piraíba or pirarara in deep Amazon channels at night. Anglers staying at remote Amazon lodges on multi-day catfish expeditions have the best chance of an encounter.
What do Chicote eat?
Feeds primarily on nekton, free-swimming fish and other active prey in the water column. Large cut baitfish or whole live fish presented on the bottom are the logical choice, the same approach used for other giant Amazonian catfish.
Where do Chicote live?
Native to Brazil, found throughout the Amazon River basin, including the main channel and major tributaries such as the Rio Negro and Rio Roosevelt. A bottom-oriented, freshwater species of tropical, large-river systems; it does not occur in Brazil's coastal or Pantanal drainages.
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