Curimatã
The curimatã — sold and eaten across Brazil's north and northeast for generations — is a schooling, bottom-grazing fish that moves through the Amazon, São Francisco, Tocantins-Araguaia, and La Plata basins.
Anglers and subsistence fishers intercept it during its seasonal upstream migrations, when large schools crowd river channels. Its firm, flavorful flesh drives both local demand and a fast-growing export trade.
Scientific Name: Prochilodus britskii
Also known as Curimba, curimbatá, papa-terra, curica
- Elongated, laterally compressed body covered in silvery scales; belly pale, flanks sometimes with faint horizontal lines depending on species.
- Distinctive protrusible, sucker-like mouth adapted for scraping algae and organic matter from riverbeds and submerged wood — the clearest ID feature in hand.
- Typical adults run 30–50 cm and 1–2 kg; larger individuals reach over 50 cm and approach 3 kg.
- Caudal fin often shows faint banding or chevron markings; overall profile is torpedo-shaped with a moderately forked tail.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native to Brazil across multiple major drainages: Amazon, São Francisco, Tocantins-Araguaia, and La Plata systems.
- Common in whitewater and clearwater rivers; largely absent from blackwater rivers like the Rio Negro.
- Benthopelagic — spends most of its time near the bottom of river channels, floodplain lakes, and flooded margins during high water.
- During the rainy season, schools move into flooded areas and upstream tributaries to spawn; they return to main channels during low water.
Key Locations
- Central Amazon (Amazonas state) — one of the highest-yield regions for wild curimatã, with large schools intercepted in main-channel fisheries.
- Rio Tapajós (Pará) — documented in fish markets at Santarém; important commercial and subsistence fishery zone.
- Rio São Francisco basin — a traditional stronghold for the species in northeastern Brazil, where it is a cultural staple.
- Tocantins-Araguaia system — significant commercial fishery, including the upper Araguaia where related Prochilodus species are also present.
- Amazon region aquaculture farms — curimbatá is farmed extensively here, making it available year-round beyond wild-capture seasons.
Specific Spots
- Sandy or muddy river-bottom shallows where algae and organic sediment accumulate — the fish actively scrapes these surfaces to feed.
- Main river channels during spawning migrations: schools concentrate in mid-channel current seams where they can be intercepted by nets or lines.
- Flooded margins and igapó (flooded forest) edges during high water, where organic debris settles and feeding activity peaks.
- Downstream of rapids and rocky sections, where current slows and detritus collects on the bottom.
Curimatã FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Curimatã?
Dough baits, fermented corn, and masa mixed with algae or river mud are the go-to options, they match the organic matter the fish naturally grazes and are widely used by local anglers across all regions.
When is the best time to fish for Curimatã?
Rising water (roughly November–February in most basins): peak season as schools migrate upstream to spawn and are most concentrated and catchable in main channels. High water (February–April): fish disperse into flooded margins and igapó; harder to locate but still active feeders on organic-rich floodplain bottoms.
How do you catch Curimatã?
Most anglers in Brazil target curimatã from the bank or small boats using bottom rigs baited with dough or fermented grain, fishing directly on sandy or muddy substrate.
What do Curimatã eat?
Feeds almost entirely on algae, plant debris, and organic sediment scraped from riverbeds and submerged wood, a feeding style called detritivory.
Where do Curimatã live?
Native to Brazil across multiple major drainages: Amazon, São Francisco, Tocantins-Araguaia, and La Plata systems. Common in whitewater and clearwater rivers; largely absent from blackwater rivers like the Rio Negro.
See it in the app
Most maps show you water.
onWater shows you Curimatã.
- 01 · Species map filter
Map every Curimatã water
Pick Curimatã and the map zeroes in on the waters they call home. No more guessing which lake holds them.
- 02 · Waterbody species
Tap any water. See what lives there.
Species, behavior and seasonal patterns for every lake, river and pond, before you leave the driveway.
- 03 · Angler Intelligence
Ask how to catch Curimatã
Tactics, gear and timing from onWater's AI fishing guide, tuned to the species and the water you're on.
Stop guessing where Curimatã are.
Open the map, filter by Curimatã, and head to water that holds them. Download onWater and plan your next trip in minutes.
- Species map filter
- Angler Intelligence
- Fishing journal
Explore other species
Trout, bass, salmon, panfish and everything in between. Each guide unpacks the behavior, seasons, and tactics that put fish in the net.
No species information available.
Smarter Fishing Starts in the App.
onWater Fish gives you everything you need to plan smarter, fish better, and own every trip from first cast to last.