biology

Piracema

Piracema is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Piracema rather than just read about it. In short: Piracema (from tupi "pirá", fish + "sema", exit) is the name given to the period of the year when fish within the Paraguay River drainage basin―which includes the Pantanal region in the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul―reproduce. The season lasts from October to March, during which the fish swim upstream to lay their eggs and reproduce.

Key takeaways

Piracema belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Piracema to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Piracema from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Piracema (from tupi "pirá", fish + "sema", exit) is the name given to the period of the year when fish within the Paraguay River drainage basin―which includes the Pantanal region in the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul―reproduce. The season lasts from October to March, during which the fish swim upstream to lay their eggs and reproduce. Thus the season is critical for the maintenance of fish populations in the waters of the local rivers and lakes. Both of the Brazilian states prohibit fishing during this period.

Prohibition of Fishing Measures have been taken as a way of preventing impacts from overfishing during the piracema period. In the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul it is a crime to fish in any location that has been designated by any environmental institution. The use of explosives, toxic substances, fishing gear such as spears, harpoons, drag nets, and diving equipment are all prohibited by law, since they can affect the life cycles of the fish population. Some species of fish are protected and they can only be caught if they are within a certain size range. For example, the golden dourado (Salminus brasiliensis) can only be caught if it is no longer than 55 cm.

External links Projeto Piracema (Nonprofit organization) (in Portuguese)

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Piracema

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Piracema claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Piracema before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Piracema ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Piracema

In research: Piracema appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Piracema in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Piracema is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Ecology stubs, Fishing in South America, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Piracema outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Piracema in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Piracema means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Piracema out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Piracema in simple terms?

Why does Piracema matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Piracema?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Piracema.