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FACTSHEETS: June 2010 - no. 168

Corydoras haraldschultzi Knaack, 1962

his month (June 2010) we welcome back regular contributor, author and aquarist, Chris Ralph. His subject this month is centered on an old favourite from the Callichthyidae family, Corydoras haraldschultzi. I now hand you over to Chris.

Corydoras haraldschultzi is sometimes available amongst aquarium imports from South America, and is well worth looking out for in my opinion. It is suggested that aquarium specimens might grow to 80mm s.l. for males and 85mm s.l. for females. This is a very stunning species to look out for.

It is documented that this catfish is confused with Corydoras araguaiensis which lacks the orange colouration in the fins, and is said to be similar to two other species, Corydoras spectabilis and Corydoras isbrueckeri. This catfish is described as being syntopic with Corydoras sterbai.

Corydoras haraldschultzi

Corydoras haraldschultzi

Corydoras haraldschultzi belongs to the family Callichthyidae or armoured catfishes from South America; namely Brazil: State of Mato Grosso, upper Rio Guaporé. The type locality for this catfish is documented as being Rio Guaporé Brazil. This catfish is documented as being found in Bolivia in addition to Central Brazil.

Corydoras haraldschultzi - head view

Corydoras haraldschultzi prefer to be kept in water which has a pH in the range of 6.0-7.2 and hardness in the range of 2-25ºdGH. This catfish is ideally suited to temperatures in the range of 22-27ºC or 71-8°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 catfish is quite often confused with Corydoras sterbai which has a dark basic colour to its body with white spots on its head and snout.

Remarks: Corydoras haraldschultzi is 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.

Common Name

Schultz’s Cory

Synonyms

None

Family

Callichthyidae

Subfamily

Corydoradinae

Distribution

South America: Brazil and Bolivia. Type locality: Brasilien, Rio Guaporé.

Size

Male: 80mm: Female: 85mm SL. (standard length – this is the measurement of the fish from the tip of the snout to the base of the caudal peduncle).

Temp

22-27°C (71-81°F)

p.H.

6.0-7.2.

Characteristics

The body shape of Corydoras haraldschultzi is described as being typical triangular Corydoras shaped with a pointed head and long snout. The body is slightly deeper in comparison to other species of Corydoras. The dorsal fin is described as having 7 to 8 soft rays.

Colouration

The base colour of the body and head is described as being light overlaid with 6 to 7 bands of dark coloured markings leading from the front of the dorsal down to the caudal peduncle. There are dark grey reticulated markings on the head which cover the snout and extend towards the leading ray of the dorsal fin. The pectoral and ventral fin spines are described as being orange in colour, whilst the remaining fins are described as being clear with black banding.

Aquarium Care & Compatibility

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 haraldschultzi would be found in relatively large shoals.

Reproduction

There are no documented records of Corydoras haraldschultzi having been spawned in aquaria to date.

Sexual Differences

As with most other species of catfish the males tend to be more slender than the females. The females are described as being larger and plumper as they get older. As with most other representatives of the family Corydoradinae, the male is documented as being much smaller than the female.

Diet

Corydoras haraldschultzi readily accepts a mixed and varied diet which includes granular foods, frozen bloodworm and a good quality flake.

Etymology

Corydoras: Cory = helmeted; doras = leathery skin,(helmeted Doras) cuirass.
haraldschultzi: dedicated to Mr Harald Schultz.

Glossary of Terms

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.
Anal fin is defined as the medial fin immediately posterior to the anus.
Caudal fin is defined as the tail fin.
Caudal peduncle is defined as the usually narrowing posterior part of the body between the anal and caudal fins.
Dorsal is defined as being top or above.
Dorsal fin is defined as the medial fin on top of the back.
Dorsolateral is defined as extending from the top to the side.
Operculum is defined as the large bone forming the gill cover.
Pectoral fins are defined as paired lateral fins.
Scute is defined as a bony plate.
Syntopic is defined as being similar in appearance.
Ventral is defined as bottom, below or underneath.
Ventral fins are defined as the paired fins between the pectoral and anal fins.
Ventrolateral is defined as extending from below and to the side.

References

Alexandrou, Markos & Taylor, Martin (2011). Evolution, ecology and taxonomy of the Corydoradinae revisited.
Fuller, I.A.M. & Evers, H-G: 2005 Identifying Corydoradinae Catfish 384 p.

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ScotCat Sources

Etymology-genera

Etymology-specific name

Online Sources

Fishbase

Wikipedia

Catalog of Fishes

GBIF

Fishnet2

iNaturalist