Coredoras (Corydoras) Aquarium catfish, species

If you’re an enthusiast for aquarium fish, you may have encountered corydoras, which are commonly referred to as "corys." It’s easy to understand why aquarists choose these endearing little catfish. Their lively demeanor, calm disposition, and endearing natures make them an ideal addition to numerous home aquariums.

There are numerous species of corydoras catfish, and each has distinct qualities. These fish offer a great deal of diversity, from the traditional Corydoras aeneus with its golden sheen to the eye-catching Corydoras panda with its unique markings. Their frolicsome antics and bottom-dwelling ways liven up the aquarium floor considerably.

We’ll delve into the world of corydoras and examine the various species you may want to consider for your tank in this article. We’ll talk about how to take care of them, whether they get along with other fish, and what makes each species unique. These catfish can make a wonderful addition to your aquatic setup, regardless of your level of experience.

Types

Range

Across South America, from Trinidad to the Rio de la Plata basin in northern Argentina, corydoras species are widespread. They are found east of the Andes to the Atlantic coast.

The basins of the Amazon, Paraguay, Orinoco, and numerous other rivers are home to members of the genus.

They primarily reside near the bottom of silted, slowly moving, and stagnant bodies of water, where they feed on bottom organisms.

Description

Catfish, small, 2.5–12 cm in length.

The abdomen has an almost straight profile, the sides are somewhat flattened and covered in two rows of bony plates, and the body is stocky and slightly elongated with a high front portion. have two lower and two upper barbels on their jaws, totaling four barbels. A two-lobed caudal fin is present. powerful spiky ray on pectoral fin. Both the ventral and pectoral fins are fully formed. An adipose fin exists.

Since the fish need to be able to breathe through their intestines, you must allow them to reach the water’s surface.

Aquarium enthusiasts frequently choose corydoras catfish, also referred to as "corys" or "corys," because of their low maintenance requirements, endearing behavior, and tranquil temperament. There are several species of these tiny, bottom-dwelling fish, and each has distinct markings and traits. The various Corydora species will be discussed in this article along with their unique requirements, suitable tank mates, and maintenance advice for your aquarium. Comprehending these captivating fish, regardless of your level of experience, will enable you to establish a flourishing aquatic habitat.

Behavior and compatibility

The majority of species favor social groups.

These fish are peaceful, resilient, lively, fascinating, and fairly simple to keep. Occasionally, they break the surface and briefly erupt their mouths to take a breath of oxygen. Such behavior is not indicative of a problem with the fish; rather, it is entirely normal.

Aquarium

Fish can be housed in communal aquariums with driftwood, stones, and plant thickets.

Although they adore shelters, they will lie on rocks and thorns if necessary. Look under the earth for food.

Feeding

Diet: fresh, frozen, or dehydrated. They gather from the earth.

Sexual dimorphism

Weakly expressed, females are typically a little fuller than males; the dorsal fin’s upper end is rounded in females and pointed in males. A female with a curved abdominal profile is ready to spawn.

Breeding

For spawning, a group of fish that are 1.5 years old (4-6 males and 2-3 females or 2-3 males and 1 female) should be kept apart and given a week to mature. Both in a common tank and in a 70-centimeter-long spawning tank set up as a common. Spalling is stimulated by adding fresh water on a regular basis.

Men start to chase after the restless female swimmers. Subsequently, one of them pivots to the side in front of the female’s head, releasing milt, and at that moment, the female deposits multiple eggs in her ventral fin, which is then folded into a ladle, as she swims through the cloud.

The female of some species then cleans a plant leaf, an aquarium glass, or any other hard object, presses the eggs to it, and opens her ventral fin; in other species, she swims among small-leaved plants (Java moss is typically used as a substrate) and deposits sticky eggs on them. Depending on the kind of fish, this process can take anywhere from a few hours to three days and is repeated multiple times. Since the female frequently eats the eggs, it is advised to feed the fish enchytraeus or tubifex during this time to prevent them from going hungry.

Fish are taken out of the water after spawning, or the substrate containing the eggs is moved to an incubator (eggs placed on aquarium glass are carefully scraped off with a razor).

The fry swim after 1-4 days during the incubation period, which varies depending on the fish species and temperature. Food to start: live dust.

Since corydoras are so popular among aquarium enthusiasts worldwide, they make great additions to community aquariums. Their longevity in an aquarium is remarkable; it has been reported that C. aeneus lived for 27 years in captivity, and a 20-year lifespan is not unheard of.

Corydoras barbatus (Corydoras barbatus) Quoy, Gaimard, 1840

Inhabits the reservoirs of Brazil between the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.
Length up to 12 cm, in an aquarium usually up to 7 cm.
The body is shiny, yellow-brown, golden-yellow towards the belly. The head and side are covered with dots and curls from blackish to brownish-yellow colors. Upper part of caudal peduncle golden yellow. Dorsal, anal and caudal fins with brown spots.
The edges of the male"s head are covered with short bristles, the first ray of the pectoral fin is very long, white in front, black in the back.
Before spawning, the female"s head darkens, and a checkered pattern of a chessboard appears on the back half of the body.
At dusk, the fish begin to swim briskly in a school around the aquarium.
Water: 24-28° C, dH 5-25°, pH 6.5-7.5. Spawning near the ground. The female glues the eggs to the glass of the aquarium in its upper third up to 60 eggs in clusters of 3-4 pieces. The fish suck the eggs, but do not eat them. The incubation period is 4 days at 24 C, the fry swim after 3 days.

Corydoras panda Pfffssen, Isbriicker, 1971

Inhabits the waters of Peru.
Length up to 5.5 cm.
The body is saturated brown-orange, on the head there is a black transverse wide stripe through the eye, on the caudal peduncle there is a large black spot. The dorsal fin is black with a transparent upper edge. The other fins are yellowish.
The female is taller, fuller and larger than the male.
Water: 22-26° C, dH 5-20°, pH 6.5-7.5.
They do not spawn at high atmospheric pressure. The female lays up to 70 eggs on the aquarium glass near the water surface, on the underside of leaves, on the ground, or spawns while swimming among small-leaved plants, but always in the most illuminated places.
Sexual maturity at 8-10 months.

Sparrow Catfish / Dwarf Catfish (Corydoras hastatus) Eigenmann, Eigenmann, 1888

They inhabit the middle reaches of the Amazon and the upper reaches of the Paraguay River.
Length up to 3 cm.
The body is from pale green to golden yellow, along it there is a black stripe, which at the base of the caudal fin turns into a diamond-shaped spot, above and below the stripe there is a yellowish border. The upper edge of the adipose fin is black, the other fins are colorless.
The female is fuller male.
The fish love clean water and stay in a school in the middle layers of water.
Water: 22-26° C, dH 5-20, pH 6.5-7.5.
Spawning aquarium with fresh water 24-26° C, dH 5-10°, pH 6.5-7.2, with Java moss and aeration. The female lays eggs among plants or attaches up to 80 pcs to the aquarium glass. Incubation period 4-8 days, fry swim
after 1-3 days. Sexual maturity at 7-10 months.

Golden / Bronze catfish (Corydoras aeneus) Gill, 1858

Inhabit small rivers and tributaries Amazons.
Length up to 7 cm.
The body is yellowish-brown with a wide green longitudinal stripe on the side, which continues on the middle rays of the lower lobe of the caudal fin. The fins are yellowish, transparent.
The male is slimmer and smaller than the female.
Water: 18-24° C, dH 5-25°, pH 6.5-7.5.
In the spawning aquarium, the water is 18-22° C, 2-3° C lower than when kept, dH 5-12°. The female lays eggs (up to 300 pcs.) on leaves and hard objects. The incubation period is 3-6 days, the fry swim the next day. Sexual maturity at 8-12 months.

Somik Kocha (Corydoras Cochui) Myers, Weitzman, 1954

They inhabit the waters of the middle reaches of the Amazon River.
Length up to 3 cm.
The body is yellow-brown, the side with a silvery sheen, the belly is white. Along the body there is a black intermittent stripe, ending with a spot on the caudal peduncle. The caudal fin has small dark dots in the form of transverse stripes.
The female is larger and fuller than the male.
Water: 22-26 ° C, dH 5-25 °, pH 6.5-7.5.
Spawning is stimulated by fresh water and a decrease in temperature by 3-4 ° C. The female lays up to 50 eggs on hard objects and small-leaved plants.
The incubation period is 4 days.

Spotted Catfish / Common Catfish (Corydoras paleatus) Jenyns, 1842

The most popular corydoras for aquarium enthusiasts.

They inhabit the southeastern part of Brazil.
Length up to 7 cm.
The body is from olive-brown to olive-green, on the back and side there are blackish spots and small spots of various sizes. Gray fins with black spots and strokes.
The male is smaller and slimmer than the female.
There is a red-eyed albino form with a pink body color.
Water: 18-24° C, dH 5-25°, pH 6-8.
In a spawning aquarium, water with dH 5-15°, pH 6-7.4 is desirable. The female lays up to 200 eggs on leaves and hard objects. The incubation period is 5-14 days, the fry swim after 1-2 days. Sexual maturity is 6-8 months.

Corydoras trilineatus (JULII) Cope, 1871

Often referred to as C. jullii in literature.

Inhabit the rivers of Peru.
Length up to 5 cm.
The body is silvery-gray. On the head and back there are numerous small black spots and zigzag lines. From the gill cover to the base of the tail fin there is an uneven black stripe, with short transverse lines adjoining it at the top and bottom. In the belly area there are black dots. In the upper part of the spinal fin, a large black spot. On the tail there are 5-6 transverse black lines formed by small dots.
The fish are timid, they are kept in a group of at least 6 specimens in water 23-27° C, dH 5-15°, pH 6.5-7.5.
The female lays up to 60 eggs on leaves and hard objects. The incubation period is 4-6 days, the fry swim after 3 days. Sexual maturity at 12 months.

Meta catfish (Corydoras metae) Eigenmann, 1914

Inhabit the Meta River (Columbia).
Length up to 5 cm.
The body is a delicate yellow-brown color. Starting from the dorsal fin, a narrow black and blue stripe runs along the back, which, ending, covers the caudal peduncle at the base of the tail. Other a black and blue stripe runs across the head through the eyes. The fins are a soft brown, transparent, the dorsal fin can be completely black and blue.
The female has dark stripes.
Water: 24-27° C, dH 5-15°, pH 6.5-7.5.
stimulates spawning a change of 1/4 of the fresh water, a decrease in temperature to 21-22 ° C and pH 7 and below. The female lays eggs up to 100 pcs on large leaves, and in their absence on hard objects, as well as in thickets of Java moss. The incubation period is 2-7 days, the fry swim after 2-3 days.

Natterer"s catfish (Corydoras nattereri) Steindachner, 1877

Inhabit the Paramba and Rio Doce rivers (eastern Brazil).
Length up to 6.5 cm.
Back and forehead are light olive-brown, the side is delicate silvery-green, the belly is whitish. On the side there is a longitudinal dark stripe with a greenish tint, under the front part of the dorsal fin there is a black-brown spot. Fins are transparent, yellowish.
The male is smaller, during the spawning period it is colored much brighter than the female.
Water: 22-24° C, dH 5-20°, pH 6.5-7.5.
Spawning in a stream of clean water 23-25° C, dH 5-10°, pH 6.5-7. The female lays eggs (up to 30 pcs.) on plants and hard objects. The fish do not touch the eggs. Incubation period 2-4 days, fry immediately take food. Sexual maturity at 6-8 months.

Species	Description
Corydoras aeneus	Commonly known as the Bronze Cory, this species is hardy and adaptable, making it great for beginners. It has a metallic greenish-brown sheen and a friendly temperament.
Corydoras catfish	Also known as the Albino Cory, this species is recognized by its striking pink or orange color. It’s active and enjoys socializing in groups.
Corydoras pygmaeus	One of the smallest Corydoras species, the Pygmy Cory is known for its tiny size and peaceful nature. It’s perfect for smaller tanks.
Corydoras sterbai	Featuring distinctive black and orange markings, the Sterbai Cory is eye-catching and thrives in well-planted aquariums with soft substrate.

A delightful addition to any aquarium are corydoras catfish. They make great companions for a variety of tank mates because of their small size, playful nature, and peaceful demeanor. Their endearing antics and intriguing personalities make them instant favorites among fish aficionados.

It’s crucial to replicate the natural habitat of corydoras in an aquarium setup as closely as possible. Having a soft, sandy substrate, lots of hiding places, and clean, well-maintained water are essential for their happiness and well-being. Consider adding a few of these social fish to your tank to observe their entertaining interactions, as they prefer to swim in groups.

Spend some time learning about the particular requirements of the Corydoras species you’re interested in. Each species has distinct characteristics and needs for maintenance. You’re sure to appreciate the lively and charming nature of these little fish, whether you go for the well-known Corydoras aeneus or one of the more exotic varieties.

All things considered, Corydoras catfish are an excellent option for anyone wishing to give their aquarium some personality and charm. They can flourish and add a great deal of happiness to your aquatic setup with the right care.

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