An old favourite in the hobby
and has been bred numerous times. See article.
Males have more colourful markings than the females
and also have three black bands in the dorsal fin.
Lineage: Placed in Lineage 5 and a revision
in the future could involve the resurrection of the
genus name Gastrodermus (Cope, 1878). Aquarium
Care: This is akin to most of this genus,
very peaceful, and would be best housed with small
to medium sized tankmates such as Tetras, Rasboras
and Danios or in a species tank for breeding purposes.
Best to purchase 6 individuals or more as they will
be happier in a group. Diet: Readily
accepts a mixed and varied diet which includes granular
foods, tablet food, frozen bloodworm and good quality
flake to name but a few. Remarks:
There are a few different forms of this species and
one of them was described by Holly in 1940 as Corydoras
pestai. This is now a synonym of C. elegans
but there is a train of thought that this species
(C. pestai) may be valid and has been treated
as so in Isbrücker (2001b: 232).
Common
Name:
Elegant Corydoras
Synonyms:
Corydoras pestai
Family:
Callichthyidae
Distribution:
South America:Upper Amazon River basin..Type locality:
Teffé, Brazil.
Size:
5.0cm (2ins) Male; 5.5cm (2¼ins)
Female.
Temp:
23-25°C (73-77°F)
p.H.
6.0-7.2.
Reference:
Ferraris, C.J. Jr.,
2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes:
Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary
types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628. Fuller, Ian A.M. &
Evers, Hans-Georg:
Identifying Corydoradinae Catfish. 2005. 384 p.
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