We
obtained a number of sample specimens (only one specimen per species)
of Corydoras from the Rio Vaupes in Colombia. Some of them are real
rarities, others are better known already.
One
of the well known species is Corydoras osteocarus. This species cannot
be confused with any other Corydoras. The species attains a maximum
length of about 5 cm.
Corydoras
sp. CW 49 is a very pretty individual variety of the species C. sp. CW
51. The latter is currently quite often imported. It attains a length of
about 6 cm.
Corydoras
sp. CW 107 reminds one strongly in Corydoras davidsandsi. We think that
CW 107 belongs to the very same species as Corydoras sp. CW 91.
The
long snouted sibling species to CW 107 is Corydoras sp. CW 106. This
fish belongs most probably to the same species as Corydoras sp. CW 89.
Corydoras
evelynae is one of the most wanted species of Corydoras, but hardly
ever available. The appearance of this species in Colombia has been
published by Mojica et al. (2005): Peces de la Cuenca del Rio Amazonas
en Colombia: Región de Leticia. Bioto Combiana 6 (2): 191-210. C.
evelynae has been described from the upper Amazon in Brazil initially.
The
most sensational species is for sure a Corydoras that looks quite
similar to a group of Corydoras known so far from Peru only: Corydoras
fowleri, C. coriatae, and C. semiaquilus. In fact, C. semiaquilus is
listed for Colombia by Mojica et al.. However, our recently imported
fish looks quite different from what we know as the “Peru Black”, which
has been identified as Corydoras semiaquilus until now. So we think that
a lot of research has still to be done.
Sadly all these
Corydoras are very expensive and so they will hardly appear in near
future in good numbers in the ornamental fish market. But it is
nevertheless good to know that such beauties exist.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
