Corydoras adolfoi
Burgess, 1982 |
ur first foray into the year 2003
brings me back to the Callichthyidae family again and a factsheet
request for a relatively new Cory, in scientific terms anyway,
of Adolfo's Cory, Corydoras adolfoi which was named after
the Brazilian exporter Adolfo Schwartz.
This Corydoras
was one of the first of the fleshy coloured, black banded/striped
species with the gold markings to be collected in the tributaries
of the upper Rio Negro in Brazil, alongside such species as Corydoras
burgessi, C. davidsandsi and Corydoras imitator
which was collected at the same time and is basically the long
nosed variety of our factsheet of the month subject and also the
very similar C. duplicareus which has a broader black band
on the body and also a different structure to the pectoral fin
spines. There has also been collections made over the border in
Venezuela.
It was first discovered by Dr. Herbert R. Axelrod in the first
tributary north of the village of São Gabriel da Cachoeira
known locally as the 'Miua' and is the type locality in the original
account of the collecting of Corydoras adolfoi. It was
first imported into the United States in the same year
of its discovery in 1982 and then into Europe the following year
Above pictures showing Corydoras
adofoi on left and Corydoras duplicareus
on the right.
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This Cory along with the vast majority of
the Genus do better in a shoal of at least 6 as they are quite
a timid species and will feel more secure in numbers. You will
also have a better chance of also spawning this species They are
not one of the easiest Corydoras to breed and a lot of
work and patience is called for. (see below in the breeding section).
Left picture showing a pair
of the very similar Corydoras imitator (longer
snout) and Corydoras burgessi
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Shape of head; short and compact with the
body a typical Corydoras shape.
Light silver-grey with a black band running
over the top half of body and slightly into the base of the dorsal
fin. Black band running over the eyes. An orange/yellow marking
over the supraocipical. All fins are clear.
A tank setup would entail a soft substrate
such as sand or a small gravel and a nice plant covering around
the back and sides of the aquarium. If housed in a community tank
a mixture of small South American characins or the smaller varieties
of Asian Rasboras would suffice, as larger fishes would intimidate
these shy Cory's, and would stop them eating and would be therefore
detrimental to their overall health.
As per standard Corydoras breeding
structures. Set them up with preferably more males than females
( a ratio of 2:1 is good ) in a 18" x 12" x 12" tank
with either fine gravel or sand with either sponge filter or a corner
filter box with a good current. Install some java moss or wool mops,
this gives the females a choice of where to place their eggs but
you will probably find that they will mostly lay them on the glass
anyway.
A temperature in the mid-seventies is good with a p.H around about
the neutral (7) mark. Feed a diet of frozen or live food such as
bloodworm, whiteworm (sparingly because of the fat content) grindleworm,
daphnia and a good quality flake or tablet food.
Make a 50% water change, when you notice the female(s) have fattened
up, with water that is cooler so as to bring the temperature down.
A good idea is to also add a small internal filter to push the water
around the aquarium which will also oxygenate it.
If successful you can either take the adults out and leave the eggs
in the main tank or reverse it and take the eggs out by rolling
them of the tank sides with your fingers into a small hatching tank,
you can then decide to add a anti-fungus remedy or to leave alone.
If you make the wrong choice and the eggs fungus you will get another
chance as once Corydoras start to breed the first time they
will carry on using the afore-mentioned process.
It has been stated that the fry of Corydoras adolfoi are
a bit harder to raise than the norm as they are difficult to start
feeding and a trick used by some breeders is to mix them with fry
from other Corydoras species so they can follow the other
fry when they are feeding and so get a start to show how to start
eating.
A good quality flake food and tablet food
for adults with sparodic feedings of frozen or live food will keep
your Corydoras in good health.
Feeding the fry after they use up their yolk-sac with brine shrimp
naupli, microworm and fry flake food.
| Etymology |
Corydoras:
Cory = helmeted; doras
= leathery skin,(helmeted Doras) cuirass.
adolfoi: Named in honour of Adolfo
Schwartz.
|
| References |
Fuller, Ian A.M., Breeding
Corydoradine Catfishes
1. Sandy Milne
2. Sandy Milne
3. Adrian Payne
4.Allan James @ 
5. Dennis Barrett |
Brazil
: small tributary of the upper Rio Negro near the village
of São Gabriel da Cachoeira.(
