Tambaqui (black pacu, cachama)

Big, deep, round-bodied fish like a giant pacu: olive to gray on top and dark, almost black, on the lower half and belly. Strong molar-like teeth for cracking seeds. Young fish look like red-bellied piranhas.

10–30 lb.

Over 3 ft and about 70 lb.

Fruits and seeds that fall into the flooded forest, plus zooplankton, insects and snails.

Moves into the flooded forest in the rainy season to feed on fruit, then returns to the rivers and lakes as the water drops.

Found from Amazon & Pantanal, Bolivia & Peru Lakes & Rivers, Venezuela & Colombia Rivers, Amazon Mouth (Belém, Marajó & Amapá) and Brazil Lakes & Rivers. Flooded forests, floodplain lakes and white-water rivers of the Amazon and Orinoco basins; widely farmed and stocked in ponds and reservoirs.

Flooded forests, floodplain lakes and white-water rivers of the Amazon and Orinoco basins; widely farmed and stocked in ponds and reservoirs.

3–20 ft.

Near the surface under fruit trees, or 5–15 ft in lakes.

High water, when fruit is falling, and the start of the dry season; Brazil closes the season during spawning.

Morning and late afternoon.

No tide — in rivers, falling water after the rainy season is best.

Stable weather and rising or high water.

Local fruits and seeds (like jauari palm fruit), corn, dough baits and small crabs.

Rarely; fruit-imitating flies and small crankbaits sometimes work.

7 ft medium-heavy rod with a strong reel.

Strong 4/0–7/0 hooks; tambaqui teeth crush light hooks.

40–65 lb braid.

60–80 lb mono or light wire.

Fish a fruit bait under trees dropping fruit into the water, letting it sink naturally. In ponds and lakes, fish corn or dough on the bottom.

Listen for the 'plop' of falling fruit: tambaqui gather under those trees.

Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Excellent eating — one of the best-tasting fish in its range.

Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.

One of the most loved fish in the Amazon: the grilled ribs (costela de tambaqui) are famous.

The strong teeth can crush a finger — keep your hands away from the mouth.

Brazil and other countries set minimum sizes and closed spawning seasons; many fish are caught in private pay ponds. Every country requires a fishing license (in Brazil, the Licença de Pesca Amadora), each Argentine province and Brazilian state adds its own rules, and most rivers close during the spawning season. Indigenous lands and strict reserves are closed to outside anglers without permits.

Wild stocks have dropped from overfishing; most tambaqui in markets today are farmed.