A long-awaited revision of the Corydoradinae subfamily has resulted in the resurrection of several old genera, and effectively brought the former ‘taxonomic catch-all’ of Corydoras to a graceful and tidy end. 

 

The paper, titled Phylogenomic analyses in the complex Neotropical subfamily Corydoradinae (Siluriformes: Callichthyidae) with a new classification based on morphological and molecular data, is the result of years of work by authors Angelica C Dias, Luiz F C Tencatt, Fabio F Roxo, Gabriel de Souza da Costa Silva, Sérgio A Santos, Marcelo R Britto, Martin I Taylor, and Claudio Oliveira, and represents a major step forward in distinguishing these catfish as distinct lineages. 

 

Using molecular data and morphological analyses, the researchers have divided the Corydoradinae into seven genera, though further divisions will eventually follow. Catfish enthusiasts will be familiar with some of these as they’ve been used in recent years, while others are notably more archaic. 

 

Taxonomic changes to Corydoras

 

Brochis fans will be delighted to see the return of the genus, which was briefly made a synonym of Corydoras, although perturbed by the number of new additions. More work will need to be done in future revisions, though for now Brochis is crowded with many former Corydoras representatives. Corydoras still remains as a valid genus, though it is understandably much smaller than it was. 

 

Aspidoras and Scleromystax are both alive and well, with no real shake up of their members, but the real action happens when we look at the resurrected genera. Welcome (back) Gastrodermus, Osteogaster, and Hoplisoma, each of which are brimming with revisions.

 

See below to find what your favourite (ex) Corydoras is now called…

 

Identified species new names

 

Corydoras

The species that retain the Corydoras moniker are those previously associated with lineage 1, otherwise known as the ‘saddle snout/saddle nose’ species. Corydoras geoffroy is the type species for the Corydoras genus.

Members now include:

Corydoras acutus
Corydoras amapaensis
Corydoras areio
Corydoras aurofrenatus
Corydoras blochi
Corydoras caramater
Corydoras cervinus
Corydoras coriatae
Corydoras cortesi
Corydoras desana
Corydoras flamentosus
Corydoras fowleri
Corydoras fulleri
Corydoras geoffroy
Corydoras heteromorphus
Corydoras maculifer
Corydoras narcissus
Corydoras negro
Corydoras ourastigma
Corydoras oxyrhynchus
Corydoras pastazensis
Corydoras saramaccensis
Corydoras sarareensis
Corydoras semiaquilus
Corydoras septentrionalis
Corydoras serratus
Corydoras simulatus
Corydoras solox
Corydoras spirulus
Corydoras stenocephalus
Corydoras treitlii
Corydoras vittatus
Corydoras zawadzkii

Aspidoras

The Aspidoras species were previously assigned to Corydoras lineage 2, and are distinguished from other members of the Corydoradinae by anatomical features of the head, specifically the supraoccipital fontanel. The type species for the genus is Aspidoras rochai.

Members now include: 

Aspidoras albater
Aspidoras aldebaran
Aspidoras azaghal
Aspidoras belenos
Aspidoras brunneus
Aspidoras carvalhoi
Aspidoras depinnai
Aspidoras fuscoguttatus
Aspidoras gabrieli
Aspidoras kiriri
Aspidoras lakoi
Aspidoras maculosus
Aspidoras mephisto
Aspidoras poecilus
Aspidoras psammatides
Aspidoras raimundi
Aspidoras rochai
Aspidoras velites

Scleromystax

The Scleromystax species were formerly assigned to lineage 3, and are notably long, lithe fish with pronounced pectoral fins in the males. Scleromystax barbatus remains the type species for the genus. It’s also a notably small genus.

Members now include: 

Scleromystax barbatus
Scleromystax lacerdai
Scleromystax macropterus
Scleromystax prionotus
Scleromystax reisi
Scleromystax salmacis
Scleromystax virgulatus

Brochis

Brochis, formerly lineage 8, has grown exponentially, swallowing up three former sub-clades. It is expected that further revision will leave only a few of the ‘original’ Brochis species behind—notably B. britskii, B. multiradiatus and B. splendens, though this is work for a later date. Presently the genus contains many deep-bodied and long-snouted species. Brochis splendens remains the type species for the genus.

Members now include: 

Brochis agassizii
Brochis amandajanea
Brochis ambiacus
Brochis approuaguensis
Brochis arcuatus
Brochis bethanae
Brochis bifasciatus
Brochis britskii
Brochis brittoi
Brochis condiscipulus
Brochis costai
Brochis crimmeni
Brochis crypticus
Brochis delphax
Brochis deweyeri
Brochis difluviatilis
Brochis ephippifer
Brochis filamentosus
Brochis garbei
Brochis geryi
Brochis gomezi
Brochis haraldschultzi
Brochis heteromorphus
Brochis imitator
Brochis incolicana
Brochis isbrueckeri
Brochis lamberti
Brochis leopardus
Brochis multiradiatus
Brochis noelkempffi
Brochis ornatus
Brochis orphnopterus
Brochis pantanalensis
Brochis pinheiroi
Brochis pulcher
Brochis reticulatus
Brochis robinae
Brochis robustus
Brochis seussi
Brochis sodalis
Brochis spectabilis
Brochis splendens
Brochis spilurus
Brochis sychri
Brochis virginiae

Gastrodermus

Gastrodermus is a mix of lineages 4 and 5, respectively considered the ‘dwarf species’ and the ‘elegans group’. Originally there were plans to resurrect Microcorydoras for the likes of the tiny species such as pygmaeus and hastatus, but the differences between these fish and other Gastrodermus members were restricted to serration patterns on the pectoral fin spines. Gastrodermus elegans becomes the type specimen for the genus. 

Members now include: 

Gastrodermus bilineatus
Gastrodermus elegans
Gastrodermus gracilis
Gastrodermus guapore
Gastrodermus hastastus
Gastrodermus latus
Gastrodermus mamore
Gastrodermus nanus
Gastrodermus napoensis
Gastrodermus nijsseni
Gastrodermus paucerna
Gastrodermus pauciradiatus
Gastrodermus pygmaeus
Gastrodermus undulatus

Osteogaster

Formerly lineage 7, the Osteogaster will be familiar faces to most, being formed of what was formerly called the ‘aeneus group’. Like Scleromystax, it only contains a handful of species. Osteogaster aeneus (the ever-popular bronze catfish) becomes the type specimen for the genus.

Members now include: 

Osteogaster aeneus
Osteogaster eques
Osteogaster hephaestus
Osteogaster maclurei
Osteogaster melanotaenia
Osteogaster rabauti
Osteogaster zygatus

Hoplisoma

Lineages 6 and 9, respectively known formerly as the ‘true Corydoras’ and the ‘short snouted’ species, become the linguistically confusing resurrected genus. As well as a change of genus name, those specific epithets that are adjectives have also been subject to a gender alteration, moving from masculine to feminine (to match the genus name in gender). Hoplisoma punctatum (formerly Corydoras punctatus) becomes the type species for this well-populated genus, packed with many popular aquarium species. Pay special attention to the species names when browsing this list as some long-established names have subtly shifted.

Members now include: 

Hoplisoma acrensis
Hoplisoma adolfoi
Hoplisoma albolineatum
Hoplisoma amphibelum
Hoplisoma apiaka
Hoplisoma araguaiaensis
Hoplisoma armatum
Hoplisoma atropersonatum
Hoplisoma axelrodi
Hoplisoma baderi
Hoplisoma benattii
Hoplisoma bicolor
Hoplisoma boehlkei
Hoplisoma boesemani
Hoplisoma bondi
Hoplisoma breei
Hoplisoma brevirostris
Hoplisoma burgessi
Hoplisoma carlae
Hoplisoma caudimaculatum
Hoplisoma cochui
Hoplisoma colossus
Hoplisoma concolor
Hoplisoma copei
Hoplisoma coppenamensis
Hoplisoma cruziensis
Hoplisoma davidsandsi
Hoplisoma diphyes
Hoplisoma duplicareum
Hoplisoma ehrhardti
Hoplisoma esperanzae
Hoplisoma evelynae
Hoplisoma eversi
Hoplisoma flaveolum
Hoplisoma froehlichi
Hoplisoma gladysae
Hoplisoma gossei
Hoplisoma granti
Hoplisoma griseum
Hoplisoma gryphus
Hoplisoma guianensis
Hoplisoma habrosum
Hoplisoma julii
Hoplisoma kanei
Hoplisoma knaacki
Hoplisoma lacrimostigmata
Hoplisoma leucomelas
Hoplisoma longipinnis
Hoplisoma loretoensis
Hoplisoma loxozonum
Hoplisoma lymnades
Hoplisoma melanistium
Hoplisoma melini
Hoplisoma metae
Hoplisoma micracanthus
Hoplisoma microcephalum
Hoplisoma multimaculatum
Hoplisoma nattereri
Hoplisoma oiapoquensis
Hoplisoma ortegai
Hoplisoma osteocarum
Hoplisoma paleatum
Hoplisoma panda
Hoplisoma paragua
Hoplisoma parallelum
Hoplisoma pavanelliae
Hoplisoma petracinii
Hoplisoma polystictum
Hoplisoma potaroensis
Hoplisoma punctatum
Hoplisoma reynoldsi
Hoplisoma sanchesi
Hoplisoma schwartzi
Hoplisoma similis
Hoplisoma sipalwini
Hoplisoma steindachneri
Hoplisoma sterbai
Hoplisoma surinamensis
Hoplisoma trilineatum
Hoplisoma tukano
Hoplisoma urucu
Hoplisoma weitzmani
Hoplisoma xinguensis