Corydoras simulatus Care Guide
Corydoras simulatus is a peaceful armored catfish from the upper rio Meta watershed in Colombia, closely resembling several similarly marked congeners.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Corydoras simulatus is an armored catfish of the family Callichthyidae, described by Weitzman and Nijssen in 1970. According to Seriously Fish it is endemic to the upper rio Meta watershed in Colombia, with the type locality near Puerto Lopez. It resembles several similarly marked congeners, so identification often relies on origin data; a pair of small rictal barbels helps distinguish it.
Taxonomy
- Family: Callichthyidae
- Genus: Corydoras
- Scientific name: Corydoras simulatus
- Author: Weitzman & Nijssen, 1970
Habitat
FishBase records the species from the upper Meta River in Colombia and notes it prefers clean, clear water with current. Seriously Fish locates it in the upper rio Meta watershed near Puerto Lopez. It is a tropical, freshwater, demersal fish and a facultative air-breather.
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: 5-6 cm (FishBase max 4.9 cm SL)
- Lifespan: 5-10 years
Diet
The species is a foraging omnivore. Seriously Fish notes it accepts sinking dried foods plus small live and frozen varieties such as bloodworm and Tubifex, and should not be relied upon to clean the tank or survive on leftovers. A fine sand substrate is preferred.
Compatibility
Seriously Fish describes it as peaceful and gregarious. It is a diurnal bottom-dweller well suited to community tanks with calm species such as tetras, rasboras and otocinclus, and should be maintained in a group of at least four to six individuals. Aggressive cichlids should be avoided.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Vulnerable (FishBase assessment dated 23 November 2020, criterion B2ab(iii,v)). Its restricted range warrants caution regarding wild collection.
Corydoras simulatus Breeding Guide
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.