Spotfin Corydoras Care Guide
Corydoras punctatus is a peaceful armored catfish from the Suriname and Iracoubo basins, the original species of a widely confused group.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Corydoras punctatus is an armored catfish of the family Callichthyidae, described by Bloch in 1794 — one of the earliest described Corydoras. It is the original C. punctatus and is often confused with similar reticulated species. Wikipedia notes it is rarely seen and that sexing is difficult until adulthood. Some sources now place it in the genus Hoplisoma.
Taxonomy
- Family: Callichthyidae
- Genus: Corydoras
- Scientific name: Corydoras punctatus
- Author: Bloch, 1794
- Recognised combination: Hoplisoma punctatum (Bloch, 1794)
Habitat
FishBase records the species from the Suriname River basin in Suriname and the Iracoubo River basin in French Guiana, which Wikipedia confirms. FishBase notes it inhabits small, moderately sunny, shallow creeks with sandy to muddy substrates and also the edges of stagnant flooded forest such as dams and lakes, preferring upstream locations.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 100 L
- Temperature: 22-26 °C (72-79 °F)
- pH: 6.0-7.5
- GH: 2-12 °dGH
- School size: 6 or more individuals
- Size: 5-6 cm (FishBase max 6.6 cm SL)
- Lifespan: 5-10 years
Diet
The species is an omnivore. Wikipedia reports it accepts many foods including shrimp pellets, bloodworms, brine shrimp and pre-soaked flake food. A soft sand substrate protects its barbels while it forages.
Compatibility
Wikipedia describes it as a social fish. It is a peaceful, diurnal bottom-dweller suited to community aquaria with small, calm species such as tetras, rasboras and otocinclus, kept in a group of at least six and away from aggressive cichlids.
Breeding
According to Wikipedia, the species can breed easily; sexing is difficult until the fish reach adulthood.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 15 October 2020).
Breeding Corydoras punctatus
Overview
Corydoras punctatus (also placed in the genus Hoplisoma) is a callichthyid catfish of the Suriname River basin in Suriname and the Iracoubo River basin in French Guiana, where FishBase notes it inhabits small, moderately sunny, shallow creeks with sandy to sandy-muddy bottoms. It reaches about 6.6 cm SL, with recorded tolerances of pH 6.0-8.0, hardness 2-25 dH, and 22-26 C. Wikipedia lists it as Least Concern (IUCN, 2023).
Sexing
According to Wikipedia the sex is hard to tell until the fish are adult; sexual dimorphism is not readily apparent in juveniles.
Breeding Setup
Within the recorded tolerances (pH 6.0-8.0, 22-26 C, soft to moderately hard water), provide surfaces for the female to attach eggs to. Wikipedia describes the species as one that can breed easily.
Spawning Behaviour & Trigger
FishBase documents the spawning behaviour: the female holds 2-4 eggs between her pelvic fins, where the male fertilises them for about 30 seconds. This is the classic T-position used by the genus. The pair repeats the process until about 100 eggs have been fertilised and attached.
Egg & Fry Care
After the eggs are attached, they develop on the chosen surfaces. As FishBase does not give a hatch time for this species, fry-rearing should follow the general Corydoras approach of maintaining excellent water quality and offering small live foods once the yolk sacs are absorbed; these rearing details are the genus pattern rather than a species-specific record.