Physical description: The body is stocky and deep, with an arched back. Two rows of bony plates make up each side of the fish. The upper has 21-23 plates, while the lower 19-21. Two pairs of barbels are located on the upper jaw. The lower plates ranges in color from bronze to yellow to reddish-brown to white. The upper row of plates have a green to golden iridescence, when good water conditions are maintained. The fins are the tan to bronze in color. Size/Length: To 3" (8 cm) Similar species: Long-finned Brochis ( Brochis britskii ), Giant Brochis (Brochis multiradiatus ), Emerald Catfish ( Brochis splendens ), Golden-eared Cory (Corydoras eques ), Black-band Cory ( Corydoras melanotaenia ), Zygatus Cory ( Corydoras zygatus ) H: Along banks of slow-moving rivers with sandy bottoms. South America; from Rio de la Plata to Venezuela; also on the island of Trinidad. A: bottom Aquarium: 20" (50 cm) or 10 gallons (38 L). See genus description for more information Water chemistry: pH 5.8-7.8 (7.0), 2-30 dH (10), 72-82°F (22-28°C) FOOD: Live; aquatic insects, white worms, Tubifex , Brine Shrimp, insect larvae; tablets; flake Social behavior: Follow suggestions for B. splendens. Social behavior: Smaller tetras, Discus, Dwarf Cichlids, Livebearers, Gouramis, Barbs, Danios, Killifish Suggested companions: The females are larger and plumper behind their pectoral fins, and less colorful. Easier to sex when viewed from above. Breeding techniques: Spawning is initiated by the addition of cooler water. The female carries eggs between her ventral fins to a preselected spawning site (glass walls, leaves, rocks). Transfer eggs to a dark, well-aerated rearing tank. Fry are easy to raise on microworms, Artemia , and tablets. Breeding potential: 5. Breeding the Bronze Catfish is not difficult in a species tank. Remarks: One of the easiest of all Catfish in care. An albino variation is widely available. Difficulty of care: 2. A hardy, community scavenger. Recent articles about fish Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees (2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health. Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees (10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine. Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater (12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina. |
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Copyright Rhett Butler 1994-2009 The copy for fish.mongabay.com was written in 1994-1995. Therefore some information such as scientific names may be out of date. For this, I apologize. Feel free to send corrections to me. |
