Surinam Corydoras Care Guide
Corydoras surinamensis is a peaceful armored catfish from the Coppename River basin in Suriname.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Corydoras surinamensis is an armored catfish of the family Callichthyidae, described by Nijssen in 1970. According to FishBase it occurs in the Coppename River basin in Suriname. FishBase lists a standard length of about 5.1 cm and places the species in the genus Hoplisoma as Hoplisoma surinamense.
Taxonomy
- Family: Callichthyidae
- Genus: Corydoras
- Scientific name: Corydoras surinamensis
- Author: Nijssen, 1970
- Recognised combination: Hoplisoma surinamense (Nijssen, 1970)
Habitat
FishBase records the species from the Coppename River basin in Suriname. It is a tropical, freshwater, demersal fish living near the bottom, and FishBase notes it is a facultative air-breather, able to gulp atmospheric air at the surface.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 80 L
- Temperature: 22-25 °C (72-77 °F) per FishBase
- pH: 6.0-7.5
- GH: 2-12 °dGH
- School size: 6 or more individuals
- Size: 5-6 cm (FishBase max 5.1 cm SL)
- Lifespan: 5-10 years
Diet
The species is an omnivore. As with other Corydoras it forages along the substrate and in aquaria should be offered sinking dried foods supplemented with small live and frozen foods. A soft sand substrate protects its barbels while it sifts for food.
Compatibility
It is a peaceful, diurnal bottom-dweller suited to community aquaria with 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 (FishBase assessment dated 4 March 2021).
Corydoras surinamensis Breeding Guide
Overview
Corydoras surinamensis (treated by FishBase under Hoplisoma surinamense) is recorded from the Coppename River basin in Suriname, reaching about 5.1 cm SL, and is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN (2021). No species-specific aquarium spawning report is available, so the guidance below is explicitly anchored on the documented Corydoras genus pattern.
Sexing
Following the general Corydoras pattern, females grow rounder and broader-bodied than males, most obviously when carrying eggs and viewed from above.
Conditioning
Condition a mixed-sex group on a varied diet of live, frozen and dried foods. FishBase reports parameters of 22-25 degrees C, pH 6.0-8.0 and hardness 2-25 dH for this species.
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. Note: this describes the genus, not a confirmed observation of C. surinamensis.
Egg & Fry Care
By the genus pattern, eggs are attached to firm surfaces and hatch within a few days; fry accept microworm and brine shrimp nauplii once the yolk sac is absorbed and do best over fine sand. Species-specific incubation figures for C. surinamensis are not documented.