Brochis splendens

About This Species

Basic Description

The Emerald Brochis is a peaceful and active bottom-dwelling fish, making it a wonderful addition to a community aquarium. Known for its stunning, metallic green iridescence, this catfish is best kept in groups where it can display its natural schooling behavior. You will often see them playfully interacting and foraging together. As diligent scavengers, they spend their days sifting through the substrate in search of leftover food, which helps keep the tank tidy. To protect their delicate sensory barbels from damage, it is essential to provide a soft sand or fine, rounded gravel substrate. They are generally peaceful but become much more confident and outgoing when housed with several of their own kind. While peaceful towards other fish, their constant rummaging can sometimes disturb small, delicate plants. They are appreciated for their hardy nature, but thrive best in a well-maintained environment with stable conditions. Their lively antics at the bottom of the tank provide endless fascination for any aquarium owner.

Detailed Description

Often sold under its former scientific name, *Corydoras splendens*, the Emerald Brochis is a distinct species with a more robust, high-backed body and a higher dorsal fin ray count than its Corydoras cousins. These highly social fish exhibit complex group dynamics and should never be kept singly, as this causes significant stress. In a proper school, they are confident foragers, tirelessly navigating the aquarium floor. Their method of feeding involves vigorously pushing their snouts into the substrate, making sand the only appropriate choice to prevent erosion and subsequent infection of their vital barbels. While they consume detritus, a balanced diet is crucial for their health, including high-quality sinking foods supplemented with treats like frozen bloodworms or brine shrimp. Breeding can be induced in a well-conditioned group, often triggered by a large water change with cooler water to simulate seasonal rains. The process involves the classic callichthyid "T-position" before the female deposits adhesive eggs on surfaces like glass or plant leaves. Their docile demeanor makes them compatible with most community fish that are not large enough to consume them.

Scientific Description

*Brochis splendens*, a member of the Callichthyidae family, is a benthic freshwater fish native to the slow-moving tributaries and floodplains of the Amazon River basin. A key physiological adaptation is its capacity for facultative air-breathing; when aquatic oxygen levels are low, it utilizes its highly vascularized posterior intestine to absorb atmospheric oxygen gulped from the surface. This allows it to thrive in hypoxic conditions often characteristic of its natural habitat. Morphologically, it is distinguished from the closely related *Corydoras* genus by a greater number of dorsal fin rays (typically 10-12 vs. 7-8) and a sturdier, laterally compressed body. Its foraging behavior, described as "plant rooting" and "biofilm consumption," defines its ecological role as a benthic omnivore and detritivore. The constant substrate sifting is performed using sensitive barbels to locate invertebrates, algae, and organic debris. Its schooling behavior is a crucial survival strategy, enhancing foraging efficiency and providing defense against predation through collective vigilance in its complex native environment. The species was first described by Castelnau in 1855.