FAMILY CALLICHTHYIDAE: Corydoras, Brochis & Aspidoras

The Callichthyidae family is a large family with hundreds of species. There are three genus' contained in it: Aspidoras, Brochis and Corydoras. These fish are often called "armored catfish" or "cleaner cats." They spend most of their existence scavenging the bottom of their tank for stray food particles. This does not mean that they don't need to be fed. They do! Most will eat sinking catfish tablets, shrimp pellets, flake food that has been stirred into the water, and various live foods- worms, brine shrimp, daphnia. Captive bred individuals, especially the corydoras, will often breed in home aquariums, sometimes without their owners even trying. They are egg-layers. The female will lay several eggs and clamp them in between her anl fins and carry them over to a nearby surface- glass, leaves, rocks- which she will press them against after the male fertilizes them. Females tend to be heavier and fuller looking than the males. For more information on breeding Cory's, see my fish links page. All in all, these little armored cats are some of the most popular in the aquarium trade today. Keeping them is fairly easy for most of the common pet store species- they adapt well as long as they are properly acclimated. Some good beginner species are: C. aeneus, C. paleatus, and C. panda. All are readily available, and C. aeneus comes in several color varieties to appeal to your individual taste. Also commonly seen is Brochis splendens, but keep in mind that these guys get a bit larger than most cories. I have rarely seen Aspidoras in LFS.