Tukano Corydoras Care Guide
Corydoras tukano is a small armored catfish from the Rio Tiquie in the upper rio Negro basin of Brazil, marked with three dark blotches.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Corydoras tukano is an armored catfish of the family Callichthyidae, described by Britto and Lima in 2003. According to FishBase it occurs in the Rio Tiquie and its tributaries in the upper rio Negro basin of Brazil. FishBase lists a standard length of about 4.1 cm and places the species in the genus Hoplisoma as Hoplisoma tukano.
Taxonomy
- Family: Callichthyidae
- Genus: Corydoras
- Scientific name: Corydoras tukano
- Author: Britto & Lima, 2003
- Recognised combination: Hoplisoma tukano (Britto & Lima, 2003)
Habitat
FishBase records the species from the Rio Tiquie and its tributaries in the upper rio Negro basin in Brazil. It is a tropical, freshwater, demersal fish of the blackwater rio Negro drainage, living near the bottom, and FishBase notes it is a facultative air-breather.
Appearance
FishBase describes three large, dark blotches: the first a mask on the head across the eye, the second on the trunk at the level of the dorsal fin, and the third on the trunk at the level of the adipose fin. The body is fusiform, with one dorsal spine and seven dorsal soft rays.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 80 L
- Temperature: 22-26 °C (72-79 °F)
- pH: 5.5-7.0
- GH: 1-8 °dGH
- School size: 6 or more individuals
- Size: 4-5 cm (FishBase max 4.1 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 soft, acidic 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 16 October 2020).
Corydoras tukano Breeding Guide
Overview
Corydoras tukano (treated by FishBase under Hoplisoma tukano) comes from the Rio Tiquie and its tributaries in the upper Rio Negro basin of Brazil, reaching about 4.1 cm SL, and is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN (2020). It belongs to the adolfoi group of blackwater corys. 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 are 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. As a fish of the soft, tea-coloured, acidic waters of the upper Rio Negro, it should be kept and conditioned in soft, slightly acidic water rather than hard alkaline conditions.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
For the genus, spawning is typically triggered by a large cooler, soft water change with increased oxygenation and flow. 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 describes the genus, not a confirmed observation of C. tukano.
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 in clean water. Species-specific incubation figures for C. tukano are not documented.