Not furry, but we like them anyway.
Emerald Corydoras
Brochis splendens (Castelnau, 1855)
Also called Emerald catfish, Emerald brochis, Common brochis, Hi-fin cory (juveniles), Corydoras splendens (former name)
From Amazon basin in Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, in sluggish, shallow, often muddy waters with dense vegetation; the type locality is the Rio Tocantins in Brazil.123
At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Armoured catfish (bony plates, no scales)
A larger, stockier relative of the corys with a more pointed snout and a long dorsal fin carrying 10 to 12 rays. Adults shine metallic emerald, blue-green or bluish depending on the light, with a yellowish underside and yellow-tinted lower fins. Females have pinkish bellies, while males lean more yellow. Young fish look quite different, with mottled colours and a tall fin.21
Personality what they are like
Peaceful and gregarious. It can be shy when kept alone, but in a group it is a calm, steady presence that gets along with other gentle fish.21
Daily activity how busy a day looks
A steady bottom forager that also takes gulps of air at the surface.13
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Offer a soft substrate and regular partial water changes. Make sure enough food reaches the bottom, since it should not rely on leftovers.1
Home where they are happiest
A roomy tank: Seriously Fish recommends at least 120 x 45 cm (about 243 litres) for a group. Water 20 to 28 C, pH about 5.0 to 8.0, hardness about 2 to 15 dGH (FishBase lists up to 30 dH). Plants and open sand suit it.13
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Omnivorous forager. Sinking dried foods plus small live and frozen foods such as bloodworm. Wild fish eat insect larvae, worms and small crustaceans.13
Company who they like around
Keep a group of at least six to eight.1
The story where it all began
The French naturalist Castelnau described this catfish in 1855 as Callichthys splendens. It spent many years in the genus Brochis, was folded into Corydoras in 2003, and has since been returned to a revalidated Brochis. It is a long-standing favourite in freshwater aquaria and has been bred in captivity.21
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
It has been featured on a Brazilian postage stamp.2
- 2
The female gathers eggs in a basket formed by her pelvic fins and pastes them one at a time onto plants, with a clutch of roughly 830 to 1,100 eggs.3
- 3
Its long dorsal fin with 10 to 12 rays sets it apart from other former Brochis species.1
- 4
Juveniles look so different, with mottled colour and a tall fin, that they are sometimes sold as 'hi-fin cory'.1
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern (assessed 15 October 2020)3
- Taxonomy
- Originally Callichthys splendens; placed in Corydoras from 2003 and returned to the revalidated genus Brochis more recently2
- Family
- Callichthyidae (armoured catfishes), subfamily Corydoradinae2
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Emerald Corydoras. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingSmall amounts once or twice a dayevery day
- Temperature checkevery day
- Water changeAbout 25% of the waterevery week
- Water testevery week
- Glass cleanevery week
- Filter rinseRinse in old tank water, never tap waterevery month
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- Seriously Fish: Corydoras splendens seriouslyfish.comused for care, size, behaviour, taxonomy notes, juveniles
- Wikipedia: Emerald catfish en.wikipedia.orgused for taxonomy, colour, distribution, history, stamp
- FishBase: Brochis splendens fishbase.seused for valid name, length, water parameters, IUCN status, spawning
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.