Tambaqui
The tambaqui is the largest fruit- and seed-eating characin in the Amazon basin and one of the most culturally important fish in Brazil.
Native to the Amazon and Orinoco drainages, it draws both subsistence fishers and sport anglers — the latter increasingly targeting it at managed fishing lakes (pesqueiros) across the country.
Its deep body, crushing jaws, and stubborn runs make it a serious challenge on conventional tackle.
Scientific Name: Colossoma macropomum
Also known as Black pacu, giant pacu, curumim, tambacú (hybrid form)
- Deep, heavily built body with dark, almost black fins — the black fins are the quickest visual separator from the similar red-bellied pacu (Piaractus brachypomus), which has reddish coloration on the belly and fins.
- Molar-like teeth arranged in two close-set rows — no triangular gap between the rows, unlike Piaractus pacus — built to crack hard seeds and nuts rather than tear flesh.
- Adipose fin contains rays (Piaractus species lack rays in the adipose fin), a reliable in-hand ID feature.
- Commonly caught at 5–18 kg in sport fisheries; wild fish in remote Amazon waters can exceed 30 kg and reach 90 cm.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native to the Amazon basin in Brazil, including nutrient-rich whitewater rivers such as the Madeira, Juruá, Purus, and the lower Rio Negro; found throughout these systems from the main channels to their headwaters.
- During high water, adults move deep into flooded forests (várzea and igapó) to feed on fallen fruits and seeds; as water drops, they pull back to river channels and deeper pools.
- Also widely stocked in managed sport-fishing lakes (pesqueiros) across Brazil, well outside its native Amazon range, making it accessible to anglers in the Southeast and Center-West.
- Prefers warm, slow to moderately flowing water; tolerates low-oxygen conditions better than most large characins thanks to specialized gill structures.
Key Locations
- Central Amazon (Amazonas state) — historically the core of the wild tambaqui fishery, accounting for the vast majority of the species' potential yield in Brazil.
- Rio Madeira, Rio Juruá, and Rio Purus — major whitewater tributaries where tambaqui range throughout, including upper reaches.
- Rio Negro lower reaches — tambaqui present in the lower ~300 km of this blackwater river, though less abundant than in whitewater systems.
- Pesqueiros esportivos across São Paulo state and the Center-West — stocked managed lakes where tambaqui is the primary sport target outside the Amazon, accessible year-round.
Specific Spots
- During low water, concentrate on deep pools and lagoons off the main channel — fish stack here when floodplain habitat dries up and food becomes scarce.
- In flooded forest during high water, work the edges of submerged trees where fruits and seeds fall directly into the water; fish hold tight to root tangles and overhanging branches.
- In pesqueiros, fish near any structure — submerged timber, dock pilings, or drop-offs — where fish stage between feeding bouts.
- Current breaks at the mouths of side channels and oxbow lake entrances concentrate fish moving between the river and flooded forest as water rises or falls.
Tambaqui FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Tambaqui?
Fruit and seed imitations are the traditional approach in the wild Amazon, actual fruit chunks (mango, acerola, jackfruit) fished on a simple bottom rig or freelined near flooded trees are highly effective during high water.
When is the best time to fish for Tambaqui?
Sport fishing season in managed lakes typically runs October through April–May, when warm water temperatures keep fish active and feeding. In the wild Amazon, low-water months (roughly June–November) concentrate fish in river channels and deep pools, making them more accessible to rod-and-reel anglers.
How do you catch Tambaqui?
In the wild Amazon, anglers fish from boats near flooded forest edges during high water, freelining fruit baits under overhanging trees or working deep pools with bottom rigs during low water.
What do Tambaqui eat?
Adults feed primarily on fruits and seeds, rubber tree seeds, palm nuts, figs, acerola, mango, and jackfruit are all documented forage. In sport fisheries, anglers mimic this with actual fruit chunks, sweet dough baits, and flavored pellet baits (ração furada saborizada).
Where do Tambaqui live?
Native to the Amazon basin in Brazil, including nutrient-rich whitewater rivers such as the Madeira, Juruá, Purus, and the lower Rio Negro; found throughout these systems from the main channels to their headwaters.
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