Banner-Tail Corydoras Care Guide
Corydoras robineae, the banner-tail or flagtail cory, is a peaceful catfish from the upper Rio Negro with bold horizontal stripes on the tail.
Overview
Corydoras robineae, known as the banner-tail or flagtail cory, is an armored catfish of the family Callichthyidae, described by Burgess in 1983. It is distinctive for bold horizontal stripes on the caudal fin resembling a banner. According to Wikipedia it was named in honour of Robine Schwartz, mother of the aquarium-fish collector and exporter Adolfo Schwartz. Some sources now place it in the genus Brochis.
Taxonomy
- Family: Callichthyidae
- Genus: Corydoras
- Scientific name: Corydoras robineae
- Author: Burgess, 1983
- Recognised combination: Brochis robineae (Burgess, 1983)
Habitat
FishBase and Wikipedia both record the species from the upper Rio Negro basin in Brazil, where Seriously Fish reports it from the main river and tributaries. It is a tropical freshwater, demersal fish; aquaria use fine sand with smooth rocks and bogwood, dense planting and floating cover.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 100 L
- Temperature: 22-26 °C (72-79 °F)
- pH: 6.0-7.5
- GH: 5-12 °dGH
- School size: 6 or more individuals
- Size: 5-7 cm (FishBase max 4.4 cm SL)
- Lifespan: 5-10 years
Diet
The species is an omnivore. Seriously Fish notes it accepts sinking dried foods plus small live and frozen items such as bloodworm, brine shrimp and chopped earthworm; varied feeding maintains condition.
Compatibility
Seriously Fish describes it as peaceful and community-suitable, compatible with small characins, cyprinids, anabantoids, dwarf cichlids and other peaceful catfish. It should be kept in a group of at least six and away from aggressive cichlids.
Breeding
According to Seriously Fish, breeding is challenging but possible, using two males per female. After conditioning on a varied diet, spawning is triggered by large water changes with cooler water; eggs hatch in three to four days. Females are noticeably rounder and broader-bodied than males when viewed from above, especially when egg-laden.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 7 November 2018).