Orphan Corydoras Care Guide
Corydoras orphnopterus is a peaceful armored catfish from the Pastaza River basin in Ecuador, uncommon in the aquarium hobby.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Corydoras orphnopterus is an armored catfish of the family Callichthyidae, described by Weitzman and Nijssen in 1970. It is a hardy, faintly speckled species that is relatively uncommon in the aquarium hobby. Several taxonomic sources now place it in the genus Brochis.
Taxonomy
- Family: Callichthyidae
- Genus: Corydoras
- Scientific name: Corydoras orphnopterus
- Authors: Weitzman & Nijssen, 1970
- Recognised combination: Brochis orphnopterus (Weitzman & Nijssen, 1970)
Habitat
FishBase records the species from the Pastaza River basin in Ecuador. It is a tropical freshwater, demersal fish living close to the substrate of slow-moving waters.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 80 L
- Temperature: 22-26 °C (72-79 °F)
- pH: 6.0-7.5
- GH: 2-12 °dGH
- School size: 6 or more individuals
- Size: 4-5 cm (FishBase max 5.8 cm SL)
- Lifespan: 5-10 years
Diet
The species is an omnivore. As with other Corydoras it forages along the bottom and in aquaria should be offered sinking dried foods supplemented with small live and frozen foods over a soft sand substrate that protects its barbels.
Compatibility
It is a peaceful, diurnal bottom-dweller suited to community aquaria with small, calm species such as tetras, rasboras and otocinclus. It should be maintained in a group of at least six and kept away from aggressive cichlids.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 16 November 2020).
Breeding Corydoras orphnopterus
Overview
Corydoras orphnopterus (also placed in the genus Brochis) is a callichthyid catfish recorded from the Pastaza River basin in Ecuador. FishBase gives a maximum length of about 5.8 cm SL and a tolerance of pH 6.0-8.0, hardness 2-25 dH, and a temperature of 20-24 C in freshwater, demersal habitat.
Breeding Setup
Within the FishBase tolerances above, soft to moderately hard, slightly acidic to neutral water is appropriate. As for related Corydoras, flat surfaces such as the aquarium glass, fine-leaved plants, or spawning mops serve as deposition sites, and a thin sand layer suits the fry.
Spawning Behaviour & Trigger
Note: species-specific spawning data for C. orphnopterus was not found in the consulted whitelisted sources, so the following reflects the documented breeding pattern for the genus rather than verified observations of this species. Corydoras typically spawn after a large cooler water change combined with increased oxygenation and flow; the female cups a small number of eggs between her pelvic fins in the T-position while the male fertilises them, and the eggs are then attached to a chosen surface.
Egg & Fry Care
Following the genus pattern, eggs typically hatch within a few days; once fry absorb their yolk sacs they take small live foods such as microworm and brine shrimp (Artemia) nauplii, and excellent water quality is essential. These details follow the general Corydoras pattern and are not species-specific records for C. orphnopterus.