Brachyplatystoma vaillantii, the Laulao catfish, piramutaba or piramuta, is a species of catfish of the family Pimelodidae that is native to Amazon and Orinoco River basins and major rivers of the Guianas and northeastern Brazil.

[1][2] The fish is named in honor of François Levaillant (1753-1824) a French explorer, naturalist and zoological collector, who brought the type specimens to Europe.

It is a much widespread species that is found in rivers and estuaries of Amazon and Orinoco watersheds, Guianas and northeastern Brazil.

It is a demersal potamodromous fish commonly inhabits muddy waters and deeper, flowing channels.

[4][8] B. vaillantii is extremely important for local fisheries, often being the most caught fish by weight in Brazil,[9] with a peak recorded catch of 29 thousand tons in the 1970s.