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D. M. A. Wright (1) Johnny Jensen's Photographic Library (3) Yakov Oksman (1)

Quite difficult to identify from the similar looking Brochis agassizii especially as juveniles and knowing where your specimen(s) originated from is a great help. Also similar to Hoplisoma leucomelas but this species is much smaller and has a very dark eye band. Body has dark brown spots and in the head region they form a reticulated pattern. The eye mask is pale and runs from the top of the eye and over the head. The black blotch in the dorsal fin extends into the body. Lineage: Placed in Lineage 8 sub clade 4 which comprises the "intermediate long-snouts" with deeper bodies. It also includes Brochis in sub-clade 1 which was synonymised with Corydoras by Britto in 2003 but in time there will be a revision which will resurrect Brochis Cope, 1871 to full genera again. As of the latest update Corydoras ambiacus has now been placed in Lineage 8 sub clade 4 and has the new genus name of Brochis (2024). Aquarium Care: Keeping the Black-spot Catfish is no more difficult than any other of the Northern Amazonia species of Corydoras/Brochis and it will make a nice addition to your community tank. Keep at least 6 of them, as with most Corydoras/Brochis they like their own company, then you will find that they will not be so shy and you can see them during the day picking away at any tiny morsel that has been missed by the other occupants of your tank. If you keep Barbs such as the "tiger" keep a close eye on their dorsal fins as this is a waving flag to some of the more nippy species, then you will have to make up your mind to either move your Barbs, or your catfish, to another tank. Diet: 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. Etymology: The specific name ambiacus: after the River Ambiacu, currently spelled Rio Ampiyacu. Remarks: Still found on some online sources as Corydoras ambiacus.

Black-spot Catfish

Corydoras grafi, Corydoras melanistius longirostris, Corydoras ambiacus

Callichthyidae

South America: Ecuador; in the Rio Panayacu, a tributary of the Rio Napo which extends out of the North Western part of  Peru and also the Rio Yasuni. Peru: in the Rio Ampiyacu and  the Rio Nanay close to the City of Iquitos, capital of the Peruvian Amazonia. Rio Yavari near the village of Benjamin Constant where the three countries of Peru, Colombia and Brazil meet. Rio Tamya around the area of Masisea and a tributary of the Rio Ucayali.

Male: 6.0cm (2¼ins) Female: 6.5cm (2½ins)

22-25°C (71-77°F)

6.5-7.2.

Alexandrou, Markos & Taylor, Martin. (2011). Evolution, ecology and taxonomy of the Corydoradinae revisited.
Angelica C Dias, Luiz F C Tencatt, Fabio F Roxo, Gabriel de Souza da Costa Silva, Sérgio A Santos, Marcelo R Britto, Martin I Taylor, Claudio Oliveira, Phylogenomic analyses in the complex Neotropical subfamily Corydoradinae (Siluriformes: Callichthyidae) with a new classification based on morphological and molecular data, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2024;, zlae053.
Ian A. M. Fuller & Hans-Georg Evers (2011). Identifying Corydoradinae Catfish Supplement 1. Ian Fuller Enterprises.
ScotCat Factsheet no.81. March 2003.
Seus, Werner: Corydoras, The most Popular armoured catfishes of South America.