Pseudoplatystoma punctifer
Known in Brazil as pintado or surubim, Pseudoplatystoma punctifer is one of the Amazon basin's most commercially and recreationally important large catfish.
Native to the Amazon drainage, it draws both commercial netters and sport anglers — particularly in the Pantanal fringe waters and Amazonian river systems — who prize its size, table quality, and the challenge of locating it in big, turbid water.
Scientific Name: Pseudoplatystoma punctifer
Also known as pintado, surubim, doncella, spotted tiger shovelnose catfish
- Long, flattened snout (the "shovelnose") with prominent barbels; silver-gray to pale body covered in irregular dark spots rather than the tiger stripes of related species — the key field mark separating it from P. tigrinum.
- Coloration is predominantly silver with black and gray tones; the scattered black spots across the flanks and back give it the "pintado" (spotted) name.
- Typical adults run 80–110 cm; the species can reach 140 cm and reportedly up to 50 kg in the largest individuals, though fish that size are increasingly rare.
- Multiple pairs of long sensory barbels around the mouth are used to probe the bottom and detect prey — a useful ID feature alongside the spotted pattern.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native to the Amazon River basin in Brazil; also recorded in the Guaporé River basin and associated Amazonian drainages across the country.
- A bottom-oriented freshwater species of large tropical rivers — main channels, deep pools, and sandy beaches along major Amazonian tributaries.
- Shares Amazonian waters with its close relative P. tigrinum; the two species overlap across much of the basin.
- Commercially important in the Pantanal region as well, where surubim as a group (including this species) support significant fisheries.
Key Locations
- Amazon River main stem and major tributaries in Amazonas state — the core of the species' Brazilian range and the basis of significant commercial landings.
- Purus River (lower basin, Amazonas) — documented in fish assemblage studies as part of the local catfish community.
- Guaporé River basin — recorded presence in this western Brazilian drainage bordering Bolivia.
- Pantanal region — surubim as a group, including P. punctifer, support important sport and commercial fisheries in this wetland system.
Specific Spots
- Deep pools and channel bends in large rivers — pintado hold in the deepest available water during daylight, moving shallower to feed after dark.
- Sandy beaches and submerged bars along major tributaries, where baitfish schools concentrate and the bottom-hugging catfish can intercept them.
- Submerged timber, root tangles, and undercut banks provide daytime cover; fish tight to this structure during the day and work the adjacent open bottom at night.
- Current breaks behind large boulders or river bends, where the fish can hold without fighting flow while waiting for prey to pass.
Pseudoplatystoma punctifer FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Pseudoplatystoma punctifer?
Fresh cut bait from locally caught fish (especially characins) is the most reliable option, the strong scent carries in turbid water and matches the natural diet directly. Rig it on a bottom setup with enough weight to hold in current.
When is the best time to fish for Pseudoplatystoma punctifer?
Fishing tends to be most productive during the dry season (roughly June–October in the central Amazon), when falling water concentrates fish in main channels and deep pools.
How do you catch Pseudoplatystoma punctifer?
Most anglers in Brazil target pintado from boats anchored or drifting in large river channels, fishing cut bait or whole small fish on bottom rigs in deep pools and along sandy beaches. Night sessions are far more productive than daytime fishing given the species' nocturnal habits.
What do Pseudoplatystoma punctifer eat?
Primarily eats other fish, characins (like piranhas and pacus), smaller catfish, and whatever baitfish are locally abundant. In the Amazon this means a wide range of native schooling species. Cut bait or whole small fish on the bottom is the most direct imitation of this natural diet.
Where do Pseudoplatystoma punctifer live?
Native to the Amazon River basin in Brazil; also recorded in the Guaporé River basin and associated Amazonian drainages across the country. A bottom-oriented freshwater species of large tropical rivers, main channels, deep pools, and sandy beaches along major Amazonian tributaries.
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