Arhinolemur

Arhinolemur is a genus with 3 species in this atlas, catalogued in the Piranhas & Pacus section, recorded from Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. Adult sizes run from 9.5 in to 30 in. Every species below links to a full researched profile.

Species in atlas
3
Adult sizes
9.5–30 in
IUCN assessed
3 of 3 · 1 threatened
Recorded from
4 countries

About the genus

Arhinolemur is a genus of South American characiform fish - the order that also contains tetras, piranhas, and pacus - grouped in the atlas among the region's non-tetra characins rather than the true piranhas themselves. The three atlas species range widely in size, from roughly 9.5 in up to 30 in, and carry long-established Brazilian and Rio de la Plata common names - piau-gaiero, timbure, and boga - names traditionally used for elongate, silvery river characins of this kind. The genus is native to the Parana-Plata drainage, recorded here across Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

Boga in particular is a well-known name among Rio de la Plata anglers and river communities, where fish of this general type are an established food and sport catch rather than an aquarium staple - their size alone puts them outside typical home tanks. Conservation status is uneven across the genus: one species is Endangered, one Least Concern, and one not yet formally assessed, which fits the broader pattern of pressure on Parana-Plata basin fish from damming and river regulation that has fragmented migratory routes across the region.

IUCN Red List: Endangered · 1 Least Concern · 1 Not Evaluated · 1

The 3 species

Every Arhinolemur recorded in this atlas. Each card links to a full researched profile — distribution, water parameters, and aquarium care, cited to primary sources.

(Birindelli, Britski & Ramirez, 2020)

Piau-gaiero

12.5 in SL · EN

(Borodin, 1929)

Timburé

9.5 in SL · NE

(Valenciennes, 1837)

Boga, Bogón, Piapara

30 in TL · LC

Explore further

How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Genus Arhinolemur. Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/arhinolemur/

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