Global warming is currently a worldwide concern. It is essential to study the effect of water temperature changes on widely cultivated tropical native species to characterize their behavior and describe their performance in response to increasing water temperature. The present study assessed the effect of different thermal conditions on the bocachico (Prochilodus magdalenae), a species emblematic for its ecological and economic importance in Colombia. For this purpose, 180 individuals (weight: 0.26 ± 0.23 g and total length: 2.74 ± 0.06 cm) were cultured for 3 months in 140L tanks (0.14 ind/L) to evaluate their growth at different temperatures (T1: 27°C, T2: 30°C, and T3: 33°C), which were controlled using Sunlike 100W thermostats. The temperature with the best growth rate in terms of length and weight was determined, with the best response found at 33ºC (T3: 8.2 ± 1.02g and 6.4 ± 2.3 cm), while the other two treatments showed acceptable but lower growth rates, with 6.03 ± 1.4g, 2.7 ± 1.9 cm in T1 and 7.7 ± 1.8g, 5.8 ± 4.3 cm in T2. Additionally, to determine the bocachico’s temperature preference, data on fish positions were collected in a horizontal thermal gradient (22 ±1°C to 36 ±1°C) of 3m in length, preventing water column stratification with constant oxygenation through a porous hose along the gradient. Data were recorded every 10 minutes based on the animals’ positions in the gradient (3 replicates per treatment). This indicates the thermal preference of the animal regardless of its previous thermal history and preferred temperature related to its acclimatization temperature. A behavior typical of tropical species was found, where the animals in all treatments preferred a temperature between 28°C and 29°C, similar to that of their life history. Finally, the maximum and minimum critical temperatures were evaluated to determine the temperature variants that juveniles can withstand. The animals were placed in 30L aquariums (in triplicate), where the water temperature was separately decreased or increased with ice or thermostats, every 0.3°C, observing their behavior. The experiment ended when 50% of the animals lost balance. The minimum critical temperature showed a value of 16 ±1°C, and the maximum critical temperature a value of 42 ±1°C. The juvenile bocachico (P. magdalenae) are resilient and can be cultivated in ideal ranges of 30°C to 33°C, showing good growth rate and an adaptation capacity to withstand high temperatures, being highly resilient to climate change and water temperature variations. Other phases of their life cycle and reproductive stage should be evaluated in order to describe their thermal history in captivity.