Article © Julian Dignall, uploaded December 01, 1997.

The common name of this unusually patterned species comes from Mrs Robine Schwartz, wife of the late, great Brazilian fish exporter who gave his name to C. schwartzi. Mrs Schwartz and her son Adolf (yes, as in C. adolfoi) continue to run the fish exporting business Mr Schwartz began.

The fish is relatively new to the hobby, being described in 1983. It is unusual in being the only currently known Corydoras that possesses a "flag tail". There is another callichthyid (Dianema urostriatum) that also has this striking colouration. Furthermore, both these fish have an apparently natural habit of "hovering" in the middle of the water column as opposed to the normal bottom dwelling associated with most Callichthyids.

This is not the only way this species stands out from the many species of Corydoras out there. It is exceptionally hard to breed and despite being sporadically but regularly available to those that wish to try. That said, one day, someone will do it, document it and photograph or video it for the benefit of all. Until then, we have a lovely patterened and enigmatic species to enjoy.

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

Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name	Corydoras (lineage 8 sub-clade 4) robineae  Burgess, 1983
Common Names	Bannertail Cory Flagtail Cory, Mrs Schwartz's Cory, Panzerwels (Germany), Stribet Pansermalle (Denmark)
Type Locality	Rio Aiuana, southern tributary of the middle Rio Negro, Amazonas, Brazil.
Pronunciation	kor ee doh rass (lineage eight subclade four). - ROBB i nay
Etymology	Cory = helmet, doras = skin. In this case it was incorrectly used to mean armour (cuirasse) instead of skin in allusion to the dual rows of plates that run along the flanks of this genus. Named for Mrs Robine Schwartz.
Articles
Species Information
Size	44mm or 1.7" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification	The only known species of Corydoras with a black and white horizontally striped ''flag tail''.
Sexing	Mature females are plumper and the males are quite slim for adult Corydoras.
Habitat Information
Distribution	South America: Upper Negro River basin. Amazon, Middle Amazon (Solimoes), Negro, Upper Negro (click on these areas to find other species found there) Amazon, Middle Amazon (Solimoes), Negro, Middle Negro (click on these areas to find other species found there) Log in to view data on a map.
IUCN Red List Category	Least Concern, range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2018.
pH	6.0 - 7.5
Temperature	21.0-26.0°C or 69.8-78.8°F (Show species within this range)
Other Parameters	Hardness up to 15°dGH
Husbandry Information
Feeding	Sinking catfish pellets and bloodworm. User data.
Furniture	Needs a rounded substrate or sand. This species is especially prone to barbel loss at the hands of inept water management / inappropriate substrate.
Compatibility	Peaceful, keep in groups of 3 or more.
Suggested Tankmates	Most small community fish. Tetras and dwarf cichlids are ideal.
Breeding	Until recently was one of the mystery corydoras that has yet to spawn in the aquarium. Keep in pairs, or no more than 3 males to 1 female. Condition them at 77F and then drop the temp. to 65F with a large water change. They will not spawn above 75F. Spawning has been attributed to feeding a diet of live tubifex worms. Water should be surprisingly hard for Corydoras, (11.3 dGH) and just alkaline (pH of 7.1 - 7.2). A bare aquarium with a few plants is all that is required, although the plants are for refuge, no reports exist of this species spawning on vegetation. Actual spawning is a mystery; it has always occurred at night. Eggs will hatch after 4-5 days, and the water temperature can be raised to 79F during this period. Initially chopped whiteworm appear to be the best first food, but the fry are quick growers and can soon be moved onto adult food.
Breeding Reports	There is but a single breeding report, read it here.
Further Information
Reference	Tropical Fish Hobbyist v. 31 (no. 9), pp 42, Figs.
Registered Keepers	There are 70 registered keepers, view all "my cats" data.
Wishlists	Love this species? Click the heart to add it to your wish list. There are 9 wishes to keep this species, see who wants what.
Spotters	Spotted this species somewhere? Click the binoculars! There are 25 records of this fish being seen, view them all.
Forum BBCode
	More on Corydoras (lineage 8 sub-clade 4) robineae
	Look up Corydoras (lineage 8 sub-clade 4) robineae on AquaticRepublic.com
	Look up Corydoras (lineage 8 sub-clade 4) robineae on Fishbase
	Look up Corydoras (lineage 8 sub-clade 4) robineae on Encyclopedia of Life
	Look up Corydoras (lineage 8 sub-clade 4) robineae on Global Biodiversity Information Facility
	LFS label creator
Last Update	2023 Aug 05 23:55 (species record created: 1997 Dec 01 11:22)

Back to Catfish of the Month index.