Aspidoras Cory-Cat

Aspidoras raimundi

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 68–77°F (20–25°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 1.8 in (4.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 15 gal (55 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Very rare
Origin: Brazil
Family: Callichthyidae

Overview

This is a small, shy shoaling catfish, so keep it in a group of at least six and ideally more, since single fish hide away and lose condition. It spends its day on the bottom, sifting fine sand with its barbels for scraps of food. Temperament is gentle, so pair it only with small, calm community fish that will not compete for food at the floor. Feed sinking pellets, crushed wafers, and frozen foods such as bloodworm or daphnia, and make sure enough reaches the substrate. A tank of around 55 liters or larger suits a starter group.

In the wild

Aspidoras raimundi comes from clear, shallow coastal streams in Ceara, in northeastern Brazil, where it lives over sand and leaf litter. Recreate that with a soft sand bed, some driftwood, dried leaves, and shady planted cover. Keep the water on the soft, slightly acidic side, roughly pH 6.0 to 7.5, with a temperature between 20 and 25 C. Gentle flow and clean, well oxygenated water keep this sensitive fish settled.

Good to know

A member of the armored catfish family Callichthyidae, this species belongs to Aspidoras rather than Corydoras. It stays small, reaching about 4.5 cm, and wears rows of fine dark speckling over a pale body. Like its relatives it carries two rows of bony plates along each flank instead of scales. Captive spawning is not well documented for this species, though Aspidoras generally lay sticky eggs that the female carries briefly in a pouch formed by her pelvic fins before attaching them to firm surfaces.

Did you know

Aspidoras take their name from the Greek for shield skin, a nod to the bony armor covering the body. The genus is set apart from the similar Corydoras by a small quirk of the skull: Aspidoras have two soft fontanels on top of the head where Corydoras have only one.