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Evelyn's cory

Hoplisoma evelynae

Also known as Corydoras evelynae

FreshwaterFish

Evelyn's cory (Hoplisoma evelynae)

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
1.6 in
4 cm
Minimum tank
15 gal
55 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Shoaling
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Callichthyidae
Origin
Brazil

Overview

Evelyn's cory is a little Amazon catfish that sifts sand in a group. It is a step up from the easiest fish.

Did you know

Evelyn's cory is named for Evelyn Axelrod, wife of the aquarium publisher Herbert Axelrod. Another cory, the pink cory Corydoras axelrodi, is named for Herbert himself.

Caring for the Evelyn's cory

Keep Evelyn's cories in a group of at least six, which helps them feel secure and stay out in the open. A group fits in a modest tank of 15 gal (55 L) or more. Give them a soft sand bed, driftwood, dried leaves and some shade, since they spend the day working the sand with their barbels.

Keep the water clean and gently moving, at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Make regular water changes. Feed sinking pellets, crushed wafers and frozen daphnia and bloodworm, and check that the food actually reaches the floor.

Evelyn's cories are peaceful and pair well with small, gentle community fish that will not crowd the bottom. Reliable aquarium spawning is not well documented. Cories of this type deposit sticky eggs, which the female positions with her clasped pelvic fins.

Good to know

Evelyn's cory is a small armored catfish of the family Callichthyidae, with bony plates on its flanks in place of scales. A broken dark band runs along its back, with a squarish blotch beneath the dorsal fin and a dark stripe through the eye. Its accepted name is Hoplisoma evelynae, and Corydoras evelynae is another name for it.

In the wild

Evelyn's cory comes from the Purus and Solimoes drainages of the Brazilian Amazon. It lives over sand and leaf litter in warm, soft water stained with tannins.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Evelyn's cory is a peaceful, shoaling species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does an Evelyn's cory need?

An Evelyn's cory needs at least 15 gal (55 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does an Evelyn's cory need?

An Evelyn's cory is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does an Evelyn's cory eat?

An Evelyn's cory eats sinking pellets, crushed wafers and frozen daphnia and bloodworm. Check that the food actually reaches the floor.

How big does an Evelyn's cory get?

An adult Evelyn's cory reaches about 1.6 in (4 cm).

Does an Evelyn's cory need a group?

Yes. An Evelyn's cory is a shoaling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How does an Evelyn's cory breed?

Evelyn's cories have no well-documented record of reliable aquarium spawning. Cories of this type deposit sticky eggs, which the female positions with her clasped pelvic fins.

Related species