Catfish of the Month Right May 2005

Corydoras (lineage 9) panda
Panda Cory, Panda Corydoras, Panda-pansermalle (Denmark), Panzerwels (Germany) - Corydoras (lineage 9) panda   Nijssen & Isbrücker, 1971

Article © Ian Fuller, uploaded May 01, 2005.

Taking time out from from an exciting new book project, the Catfish Study Group (UK)'s chairman and self confessed Corydoras nut, Ian Fuller introduces this month's chosen species.

From the time of its first description in 1971, this species was destined to become a favourite amongst aquarists. There were reports of it being bred in Germany in the late 1970's. However it took a few more years before it made its way into the hobby in any appreciable numbers. The first importation unto the UK came in 1983 with the price of individual fish being very high and beyond the reach of many. However it was not very long before they were commonplace in most fish shops and even after more than twenty years in the hobby they are still as popular as ever.

With their distinctive colours of a light golden tan body with large black spot at the caudal peduncle, black mask across the eye and the large blotch in the dorsal fin, they were aptly named after the Giant Panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca.

This is a species that has everything going for it. Good looks; size, growing no larger than 50mm SL, for females and 45mm SL for males; ease of breed-ability. All in all a fish suitable for virtually any size of aquarium and hardy enough for even the least experienced novice.

Their basic requirements would be an aquarium with a substrate of a shallow layer of smooth grained sand with groups of largish pebbles, some floating plants to emulate the overhanging vegetation on the banks of their natural habitat in the Rio Aquas and Rio Amarillas, which are tributaries of the Rio Pachitea, Rio Ucayali system. The dietary requirements for this species is easy to provide, they are not fussy and most of the proprietary foods are readily accepted, but the addition of live foods, such as Daphnia, bloodworm or Tubifex will bring them into breeding condition very quickly.

A word of warning with this species is needed however; if they are kept in communal groups with some of the other similarly coloured Corydoradinae species there is a danger of hybridising taking place.


Copyright information for the images used in this article can be found on the species' full Cat-eLog page.

Down Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name Corydoras (lineage 9) panda  Nijssen & Isbrücker, 1971
Common Names Panda Cory
Panda Corydoras, Panda-pansermalle (Denmark), Panzerwels (Germany)
Type Locality Aquas Amarillas, tributary of Río Pachitea, Río Ucayali system, Huanuco State, Peru.
Pronunciation kor ee doh rass (lineage nine). - PANN dah
Etymology . Panda in allusion to the Chinese mammal - see ID notes.
Articles
Down Species Information
Size 38mm or 1.5" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification Corydoras panda has a light colored body with black blob covering their eyes (like the panda), a black spot the dorsal fin, and a spot on or near the base of the caudal fin.
Sexing Females are more rubust. The male has more of a streamlined body while the female is more rounded when viewed fromt he side. Easiest to view from the top. While breeding the female will be carrying the eggs with her ventral fins.
General Remarks First collected for aquarium hobbyists in 1969 by Foersch and Hanrieder. They were first collected in a mountain brook at the side of the Rio Lullapichis (Ucayali/Peru).
Down Habitat Information
Distribution South America: Upper Amazon River basin.
Amazon, Upper Amazon, Marañón, Ucayali (click on these areas to find other species found there)

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IUCN Red List Category Near Threatened, range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2014.
pH 6.0 - 7.4
Temperature 22.0-25.0°C or 71.6-77°F (Show species within this range)
Other Parameters Soft to moderate hardness - dGH 2-12.
Down Husbandry Information
Feeding Suggested foods are high quality flake foods, sinking wafers, frozen blood worms, grindal worms, tubificid worms. User data.
Furniture Sandy bottom with an open swimming space lined with bogwood and plants to retreat into.
Compatibility Peaceful community fish.
Suggested Tankmates Small peaceful characins or other non aggressive community fish. Keep in shoals.
Breeding Not too difficult, will breed as per any Corydoras species giving a good diet and water conditions, and water changes of a lower temperature to induce spawning. Two males to one female or one pair. Setup could be a 18''x12''x12'' tank with sand or bare bottom with Java moss, Java fern and a sponge filter, adding if you like a power filter for extra aeration and circulation of the water all leading to a hopefully successful spawning.
Breeding Reports There are 33 breeding reports, read them all here.
Down Further Information
Reference Beaufortia v. 18 (no. 239), pp 186, Fig. 2.
Registered Keepers There are 550 registered keepers, view all "my cats" data.
Wishlists Love this species? Click the heart to add it to your wish list.
There are 11 wishes to keep this species, see who wants what.
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There are 135 records of this fish being seen, view them all.
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Last Update 2022 May 23 11:30 (species record created: 2005 May 01 11:22)

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