Imitator Corydoras Care Guide
Corydoras imitator is a long-snouted armoured catfish of the upper rio Negro, requiring soft, acidic blackwater conditions.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Corydoras imitator is a long-snouted armoured catfish of the family Callichthyidae, described by Nijssen and Isbrucker in 1983 and currently placed by FishBase in the genus Brochis. It occurs in the upper Negro River basin and reaches a maximum standard length of about 5.6 cm. FishBase notes that it forms schools and is a facultative air-breather.
Taxonomy
- Family: Callichthyidae
- Genus: Corydoras
- Scientific name: Corydoras imitator
- Authors: Nijssen & Isbrucker, 1983
- Current placement: Brochis imitator (FishBase)
Habitat
FishBase records the species from the upper Negro River basin. Seriously Fish describes it as endemic to the upper rio Negro basin in Amazonas state, Brazil, and southern Venezuela, in pristine blackwater tributaries and flooded forest with tea-coloured, organically stained water, alongside small characids, lebiasinids and dwarf cichlids.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 80 L
- Temperature: 22-26 °C (72-79 °F)
- pH: 5.5-7.0
- GH: 1-10 °dGH
- Substrate: soft sand
- School size: 6 or more individuals
- Lifespan: 5-10 years
Diet
The species is an omnivorous forager. Seriously Fish notes that it accepts sinking dried foods, bloodworm and Tubifex, and stresses that it should not be expected to survive on leftovers or function as a tank cleaner.
Compatibility
Corydoras imitator is described by Seriously Fish as peaceful and gregarious, requiring groups of at least 4-6 individuals. Because it originates from soft, acidic blackwater, it is best kept with similarly adapted, peaceful South American species in such conditions.
Breeding
Seriously Fish recommends a ratio of two or more males per female and triggering spawning with large water changes (50-70%) using cooler water and increased oxygenation. Eggs hatch in roughly 3-4 days; fry require microworm and Artemia nauplii.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2020).
Breeding Corydoras imitator
Overview
Corydoras imitator (also placed in the genus Brochis) is a callichthyid catfish endemic to the upper Rio Negro basin in Amazonas state, Brazil, and southern Venezuela. Seriously Fish reports a maximum standard length of 55-65 mm. It is a long-nosed member of the adolfoi group, which carries an oblique dark bar along the dorsal surface, and it closely mimics the short-nosed C. adolfoi and related species, with which it forms mixed schools. Its natural habitat is pristine blackwater with tea-coloured water and a pH of 4.0-6.0.
Sexing
Females tend to grow larger, and sexually mature individuals are noticeably broader and deeper-bodied than males, especially when full of eggs.
Conditioning
Keep two or more males per female if possible. Condition the group well; spawning is attempted once females are visibly gravid.
Breeding Setup
Given the species' blackwater origin, soft, acidic water suits it; FishBase records a tolerance of pH 6.0-8.0 and 20-27 C with soft hardness (around 18-90 ppm). Provide glass, fine-leaved plants, or spawning mops as deposition sites, and keep fry over a thin sand layer.
Spawning Behaviour & Trigger
When females are gravid, perform a large 50-70% water change with cooler water and increase oxygenation and flow, repeating daily until the fish spawn.
Egg & Fry Care
Eggs are deposited on the aquarium glass, among fine-leaved vegetation, or within sunken spawning mops, the latter particularly recommended. Incubation is normally 3-4 days, and once fry have absorbed their yolk sacs they accept small live foods such as microworm and Artemia nauplii. Fry need excellent water quality.
Common Challenges
Seriously Fish notes the fry are not the easiest to raise, requiring excellent water quality; keeping them over a thin layer of sand appears to reduce ailments compared with a bare base.