Corydoras Burgessi

Datasheet

Behaviour

Burgess' Cory is known to be peaceful and gregarious, thriving best when kept in a group of at least 4-6 individuals. They are social fish that prefer the company of their own kind and should not be housed alone.

Aquarium Setup

For Burgess' Cory, it is recommended to have a tank size of at least 72 litres. The ideal tank setup includes a substrate of fine sand or clean rounded gravel. Decorate the aquarium with driftwood branches, dried leaf litter, and some cover for the fish to feel secure. Gentle filtration, preferably air-powered sponge-style units, is suitable, and maintaining water temperatures between 20-28°C is ideal. Specific water conditions should have a pH range of 5.0-7.0 and a hardness of 18-179ppm (see table for more details).

Feeding and Diet

As for feeding Burgess' Cory, they are foraging omnivores that accept various sinking dried foods, alongside small live and frozen varieties such as bloodworms and Tubifex. To ensure their optimal health, feeding them a varied diet is essential, as they should not solely rely on leftovers in the aquarium.

Reproduction & Dimorphism

Breeding Burgess' Cory is similar to many other Corydoras species. Maintaining a ratio of two males per female is advisable. Female Burgess' Cory tends to grow larger and appear rounder and broader-bodied, especially when gravid. Eggs are typically laid on the aquarium glass, but providing alternatives such as fine-leaved vegetation or spawning mops is recommended for successful breeding.

Habitat and Distribution

In the wild, Burgess' Cory is endemic to the upper Rio Negro basin in Brazil, occupying blackwater tributaries and flooded forest areas with dark, organic-stained water. Their habitats feature a pH range of 4.0-6.0, low conductivity, and little detectable hardness. They are often found alongside other small fish species like characids, lebiasinids, and Apistogramma dwarf cichlids. Specimens for the aquarium trade are usually collected near São Gabriel da Cachoeira in Brazil.

General Description

Corydoras Burgessi, commonly known as Burgess' Cory, belongs to the family Callichthyidae under the order Siluriformes. They are a species of catfish with an intricate color pattern, distinguishing them from other members of the Corydoras genus. Burgess' Cory is a facultative air breather, possessing a modified intestine for atmospheric oxygen uptake and survival in oxygen-deprived environments. Their taxonomy is complex, with over 150 described species in the genus.