Two features distinguish the species of Brochis from those of Corydoras: firstly, the enormous size (up to 12 cm) and secondly, the high number of rays in the dorsal fin. While Corydoras have 7-8 rays in the dorsal fin, in Brochis this fin has 10-18 rays. Besides this both genera are distinguished by some externally invisible characters.
The species of Brochis that is most difficult to obtain is B. britskii from Mato Grosso in Brazil. Thus it is quite expensive. And as it can be observed in many expensive fishes, several myths are applied to that species by aquarists. One of these myths says that the species can be recognized by the reddish colour of the fins and the belly. However, that myth overlooks the fact that there is a second species of Brochis found in the Mato Grosso, which is – technically speaking – belonging to B. splendens, but imitates B. britskii perfectly regarding coloration.
Both species can be told apart by the shape of the dorsal fin. In B. britskii, the spine and the first two rays of the dorsal fin form a kind of a hook. The posterior part of that fin looks like if it would have been cut with a scissor. In the imitating B. splendens, which has been given the code CW 35 by hobbyists, the dorsal fin looks quite “normal”. To be sure one can count also the finrays of the dorsal fin: in B. britskii there are 15-18 rays, in B. cf. splendens CW 35 10-12 rays (like in B. splendens).
Keeping these beautiful Brochis is not difficult at all. They look most colourful when kept at relatively high temperatures (26-28°C). However, it seems to be necessary to imitate a dry season and low temperatures (around 20°C) to stimulate the fish for breeding. The sexes can be told apart as in Corydoras, eg. males can be recognized by the larger ventral fins.
For our customers: B. britskii has code 212005 on our stocklist, B. cf. splendens CW 35 212406. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Lexicon: Brochis: ancient Greek, means “noose”, referring to an anatomical structure at the barbels. splendens: Latin, means “splendid”. britskii: dedication name for H. Britski, ichthyologist at Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Suggestion of common names: Brochis britskii: Britski´s catfish. Brochis cf. splendens CW 35: Mato-Grosso Emerald catfish
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
| Angaben zum Tier | |
|---|---|
| Herkunft | Brasilien / Brazil |
| Verfügbare Größe in cm | 8-10 |
