These beautifully marked species appeared only very occasionally in the aquarium hobby. Corydoras orcesi has been described from the Rio Tigre system in Ecuador. Initially it was described as a subspecies of the similar Corydoras pastazensis. However, so far no intergrades have been found and this makes it very likely that both are seperate species.
We were able to import both species from Peru now. If one has the opportunity to see them side by side they are very easy to distinguish from each other. Both species belong to the tribe of the saddle-nosed Corydoras. Males stay smaller than the females. So far the fish have proofed to be hardy aquarium inhabitants. A tank for Corydoras should in general have at least in part a bottom of fine, smooth sand. Worms (Tubifex) are the preferred food, but they feed readily on anything that is usually fed on ornamental fish, may it be living, frozen or dried. Both species reach about 6-7 cm in length.
For our customers: C. orcesi has code 237903 and C. pastazensis code 240304 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Lexicon: Corydoras: from ancient greek, means „with helmet and spear“. This refers to the strong armor and fin spines. orcesi: dedication name in honour of Gustavo Orcés-Villagomez. pastazensis: after the Rio Pastaza in the Pastaza province, Ecuador, where the species is found.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
