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he talk of the catfish hobby at the end of 2024 was of course the changes to the Corydoradinae family (Dias et al. 2024) and the split to new genera's and the reinstating of old lineages of Hoplisoma Swainson, 1838, Gastrodermus Cope, 1878, and Osteogaster Cope 1894. Our second factsheet leading on from last months look at Hoplisoma axelrodi is a small species that is not often seen in the hobby, Hoplisoma cochui.

    Hoplisoma cochui

In the 1980s and 90s this species was mixed up and imported alongside Hoplisoma habrosum from Colombia and was mostly thought of as this species. When H. cochui was eventually imported from Brazil it was given the C-number of C022 which untill recently was thought to be H. cochui but since a new paper in 2018 by V.C. Espíndola et al. it was discovered that C022 was a different species altogether and has now been given the new name of Hoplisoma benattii. The difference is in the body markings where H. cochui has 4 blotches and H. habrosus 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). Weitzman redescribed this species again in 1956.

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 cochui has now been placed in Lineage 9 and has the new genus name of Hoplisoma.

Barredtail Corydoras

Corydoras couchi

Corydoradinae

South America: Brazil; Upper Araguaia River basin. Type locality: Santa Maria Nova, Rio Araguaya, State of Goiás, Brazil.

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

23-26°C (73-79°F)

Head short and compact.

This is akin to most of this genus, very peaceful, and would be best housed with small to medium sized tankmates such as Tetras, Rasboras and Danios or in a species tank for breeding purposes. Best to purchase 6 individuals or more as they will be happier in a group.

As per standard Corydoras/Hoplisoma breeding structures.

Set them up with preferably more males than females ( a ratio of 2:1 is good ) in a 18" x 12" x 12" tank with either fine gravel or sand with either sponge filter or a corner filter box with a good current. Install some java moss or wool mops, this gives the females a choice of where to place their eggs but you will probably find that they will mostly lay them on the glass anyway. A temperature in the mid-seventies is good with a p.H around about the neutral (7) mark. Feed a diet of frozen or live food such as bloodworm, whiteworm (sparingly because of the fat content) grindleworm, daphnia and a good quality flake or tablet food. Make a 50% water change, when you notice the female(s) have fattened up, with water that is cooler so as to bring the temperature down. A good idea is to also add a small internal filter to push the water around the aquarium which will also oxygenate it. If successful you can either take the adults out and leave the eggs in the main tank or reverse it and take the eggs out by rolling them of the tank sides with your fingers into a small hatching tank, you can then decide to add a anti-fungus remedy or to leave alone. If you make the wrong choice and the eggs fungus you will get another chance as once Hoplisoma start to breed the first time they will carry on using the afore-mentioned process. There are no hard and fast rules to breeding Cory's but the above method works for me and countless other breeders, you may find another method that suits you, as long as you are successful, that's what matters.

Males will usually posses pointed ventral fins with the females having a more of a rounded pair. The best bet is to look down on the species and you can sex the individuals by the females girth being fuller, if mature, just behind the ventrals.

Feeding is not a problem as they will readily consume commercial foods such as flake, granular and tablet foods and frozen foods such as bloodworms and daphnia, like all fish they benefit from regular feedings of live foods such as Daphnia, Cyclops, Grindal worms and bloodworms.

Caudal fin: The tail.
Caudal peduncle: The narrow part of a fish's body to which the caudal or tail fin is attached.
Dorsal fin: The primary rayed fin(s) on top of the body.
Ventral fins: The paired fins, between the pectorals and the anal fins.

Hoplisoma: hóplon, shield or armor; soma, body, referring to bony plates on sides.
cochui: In honour of German-born tropical-fish importer Ferdinand (Fred) Cochu, Paramount Aquarium (New York City, USA), who collected the holotype.

Photo Credits

© Ian Fuller @
© Danny Blundell
© Map: Encyclopædia Britannica.