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Kim Mathiasen (1) Allan James (2) Jorge Garcia (1) Andreas Zapata (2)

Formerly had the CW number of CW031. Described from tributaries of the lower course of Río Putumayo in Peru, close to the border with Brazil and Colombia. Related to Hoplisoma reynoldsi, H. weitzmani, H. panda and H. tukano, all of which share a pattern composed of uniform light ground colour on body, dark bar (“mask”) across orbit, and one or two large rounded blotches midlaterally on trunk. Description: H. ortegai is easily distinguished from these species, except H. panda, mainly by the absence of a midlateral trunk blotch at the dorsal-fin level, and the rounded shape of the midlateral trunk blotch at the adipose-fin level. It also differs from H. panda by its greater number of lateral body plates, lack of dorsal-fin blotch, scattered chromatophores surrounding midregion of cleithrum, caudal fin with series of small blotches restricted to rays, slenderer body, and narrower intercleithral area. H. ortegai belongs to a putatively monophyletic assemblage of Corydoras/Hoplisoma that occurs mainly in the Western Amazon basin, H. tukano excepted. Habitat: The occurrence of H. tukano in the Rio Tiquié (upper Negro basin) and its putative sister species, H. ortegai, in the western Amazon, together with similar distribution patterns shared by other groups of fishes, suggest a biogeographic relationship between these areas. Occurs mainly in lotic habitats characterised by muddy-brown colour, soft bottom of clay and sand where it is relatively abundant. Lineage: Placed in Lineage 6 which has always been classified as Corydoras (Lacépède, 1803) so a new genus would need to be described and a new type species when a new revision is carried out. As of the latest revision (Dias et al 2024) Corydoras ortegai has now been placed in Lineage 9 and has the new genus name of Hoplisoma. Aquarium Care: This is akin to most of this genus, very peaceful, and would be best housed with small to medium tank mates such as Tetras, Rasboras and Danios or in a species tank for breeding purposes. Diet: A good quality flake food and tablet food for adults with sporadic feedings of frozen or live food will keep your Corydoras/Hoplisoma in good health. Remarks: Still found on some online sources as Corydoras ortegai.

Loreto panda, CW031

Corydoras ortegai

Callichthyidae

South America: Peru, Departamento Loreto, Provincia Maynas, Rio Putumayo basin, Quebrada Coronel Diaz, tributary to Rio Yaguas.

Male: 4.0cm. (1½ins). Female  4.5cm. (1¾ins)

23-26°C (73-79°F)

6.0-7.2.

Alexandrou, Markos & Taylor, Martin. (2011). Evolution, ecology and taxonomy of the Corydoradinae revisited.
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, Claudio Oliveira, Phylogenomic analyses in the complex Neotropical subfamily Corydoradinae (Siluriformes: Callichthyidae) with a new classification based on morphological and molecular data, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2024;, zlae053.
Britto, M.R., F.C.T. Lima and M.H. Hidalgo 2007 Corydoras ortegai, a new species of corydoradine catfish from the lower río Putumayo in Peru (Ostariophysi: Siluriformes: Callichthyidae). Neotrop. Ichthyol. 5(3):293-300.
Ian A. M. Fuller & Hans-Georg Evers (2011). Identifying Corydoradinae Catfish Supplement 1. Ian Fuller Enterprises.
www.corydorasworld.com