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There is sometimes a difference in body markings in this species, but basically they have 3 blotches running along the body, one just under the dorsal fin, one midway between the dorsal and the adipose fin and a larger blotch on the caudal peduncle. Sometimes you can get species that have these markings merging into one band running the full length of the body from the start of the dorsal fin to the caudal peduncle, or even 2 bands, but the spot/blotch on the peduncle is always larger than the rest of these markings. There is a very similar species, namely Hoplisoma cochui from Brazil but the difference is in the body markings where H. cochui has 4 blotches and H. habrosum, 3. In place of the large blotch in the caudal peduncle of H. habrosum, H. cochui has 2 smaller spots situated between the adipose fin and the caudal peduncle (where the tail meets the body). Lineage: Placed in Lineage 9, the "short-snouted" species with the designated type species: C. punctatus. A revision in the future would constitute the resurrection of the genus name Hoplisoma (Agassiz, 1846). As of the latest revision (Dias et al 2024) Corydoras habrosus has now been placed in Lineage 9 and has the new genus name of Hoplisoma and a change to the specific name to habrosum. Aquarium Care: H. habrosum as you may gather is a small species, with the females growing a little bit bigger than the males. They are just too small to house in a large community tank and will also suffer at the hands of other larger inhabitants such as barbs, especially Tiger Barbs who will pick on them as they sit motionless on the substrate. An ideal tank would be a 18"x12"x12" or a 24"x12"x12" with peaceful livebearers such as Guppies or Platies and small characins such as Neons. Diet: Smaller foods for this Hoplisoma such as crushed flake, tablets, grindal worm and washed brine shrimp. Small frozen bloodworm is also a good food. Etymology: The specific name habrosum: Soft; delicate. Remarks: This species is still found on some online sources as Corydoras habrosus.

Dainty Corydoras

Corydoras habrosus

Callichthyidae

South America: Venezuela; in the Rio Cojedes, near El Baul, State of Cojedes.

Male: 3.0cm (1¼ins) Female: 3.5cm (1½ins)

21-25°C (69-77°F)

6.0-7.2.

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. 031. Jan. 1999.