Corydoras diphyes
Axenrot & Kullander, 2003
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Regular contributor Chris Ralph returns again this month to spotlight
a comparatively new Corydoras species which was only
named 5 years ago in 2003, Corydoras dyphyes. I now hand
you over to Chris.
orydoras diphyes belongs to the family Callichthyidae or
Armoured Catfishes from South America; namely Paraguay, and is
documented as being restricted to the tributaries of the Río
Monday, Río Acaray, the right bank tributaries of the Río
Paraná and a small stream at Estancia María Balén.
Corydoras diphyes is also documented as being found in
Brazil.
It is a recently described species of Corydoras (2003)
and not yet commonly available to the hobbyist. When this catfish
is available expect to pay around £5-£8 (UK) per
fish. In its natural habitat Corydoras diphyes usually
occurs in areas which have sandy substrates with bank vegetation
entering the water. The water in which they are found varies
from dark (stained with tannins) to clear or slightly turbid.
Corydoras diphyes prefer to be kept in water
which has a pH in the range of 6.0-7.2. This catfish is ideally
suited to temperatures in the range of 23-26ºC or 73-79°F.
I would suggest a minimum tank size of 24” x 15”
X 12” for a small shoal of these fascinating little catfish.
I would suggest good quality aquarium sand such as BD Aquarium
Sand, or very smooth rounded gravel as the preferred substrate
when keeping these catfish. The aquarium should provide some
shelter in the form of rocks or bogwood along with some aquatic
plants. As with all other species of fish, water quality and
general husbandry is very important, and I would recommend that
a minimum of 25% water is changed on a weekly to fortnightly
basis.
This particular catfish is documented as being mimicked by Otocinclus
mimulus.
The body shape of Corydoras diphyes is described as being
typical triangular Corydoras shaped. The body is described
as having relatively low scute numbers with 23-24 in the dorsal
row, 20-21 in the ventral row, and 2-4 pre-adipose scutes. The dorsal
head profile is described as being clearly convex. The caudal fin
is described as being truncate.
The base colour of the body and head is light tan with a number
of darker brown coloured spots or blotches on the head and along
the length of the body. There are distinct dark stripes in both
the dorsal and caudal fins.
Wherever possible I would recommend that the aquarist keep these
catfish in a community aquarium in small groups of six or more,
but as the absolute minimum I would suggest three specimens assuming
that they are available in these numbers. In their natural habitat
Corydoras diphyes would be found in relatively large
shoals.
As far as I am aware there are no documented records of Corydoras
diphyes having been spawned in aquaria to date (April 2008).
| Sexual
differences |
The males tend to be more slender than the females.
Unlike the majority of other members of the family Callichthyidae
Corydoras diphyes is documented as not having elongated
dorsal and pectoral fins in either sex.
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| Feeding |
As with all the other catfish that I have had the pleasure to keep
over the years, Corydoras diphyes readily accepts a mixed
and varied diet which includes granular foods, frozen bloodworm
and good quality flake to name but a few.
| Glossary
of Terms |
Scute is defined as a bony
plate.
Truncate is defined as cut off
or blunt.
Adipose is defined as a second
dorsal fin which in the case of Corydoras consists
of fatty tissue with a single spine supporting a thin membrane.
Dorsal is defined as being top or above.
Ventral is defined as bottom, below or underneath.
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| Etymology |
Cory = helmet, Doras = skin.
Diphyes is from the Greek word meaning
double nature which refers to the unique colour patterns
observed in this species – spotted and striped.
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Images by Author |
