Corydoras simulatus Breeding Guide

Breeding Corydoras simulatus from Colombia's upper Rio Meta: sexing, conditioning and the documented genus T-position spawning pattern (no species report).

Overview

Corydoras simulatus is endemic to the upper Rio Meta watershed in Colombia, around the Rio Ocoa near Puerto Lopez, reaching 60-70 mm standard length according to Seriously Fish. It closely resembles C. metae and C. melini. Seriously Fish provides no species-specific breeding report, so the guidance below is explicitly anchored on the documented Corydoras genus spawning pattern.

Sexing

Seriously Fish states that females are noticeably rounder and broader-bodied, especially when gravid, and grow about 5 mm larger than males.

Conditioning

Maintain a group of at least 4-6 individuals and condition on sinking dried foods plus live and frozen items such as bloodworm and Tubifex. Seriously Fish reports maintenance parameters of 20-25 degrees C, pH 6.0-7.0 and hardness 36-215 ppm.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

For the genus, a large cooler water change with increased oxygenation and flow is the usual trigger. In the Corydoras T-position described on Wikipedia, the female attaches her mouth to the male's vent; sperm passes through her gut and is released with the eggs into a pelvic-fin pouch, which she carries to a deposition site such as glass or plants. Note: this is the genus pattern, not a confirmed observation of C. simulatus.

Egg & Fry Care

By the genus pattern, eggs hatch within a few days and fry accept microworm and brine shrimp nauplii once the yolk sac is absorbed, doing best over fine sand. Species-specific incubation figures for C. simulatus are not documented.