Bifasciatus Cory / Two-Stripe Cory (Brochis bifasciata)

Choose the Bifasciatus Cory, a rare two-striped Tapajós cory

The Bifasciatus Cory, also called the Two-Stripe Cory, is Brochis bifasciata, a small armoured catfish from the upper Rio Tapajós system in Pará State, Brazil. It was described by Nijssen in 1972 as Corydoras bifasciatus, and that is still the name most shops and import lists use. Planet Catfish gives the type locality as a creek on the left bank of the Rio Cururu, a tributary of the upper Tapajós. The name is Latin for "two stripes": bi means two and fasciatus means striped, referring to the two black lines along the body. ScotCat describes it as very rare in the hobby.

In 2024 Dias and colleagues published a new classification of the corydoradine catfishes, and this species moved with the other deep-bodied "intermediate long-snouts" of ScotCat's lineage 8 into the genus Brochis. The species name changed its ending at the same time, to agree with the new genus, so Corydoras bifasciatus became Brochis bifasciata. Both names refer to the same fish.

Match the names on the label

In the photographs on ScotCat's factsheet, the fish has a dark head and back, a black stripe along the upper flank and a second black stripe along the middle of the body to the base of the tail, with a pale golden-cream band between them and a pale belly. The fins are mostly clear, with a dusky dorsal fin. Those two black lines are what the name describes.

Understand how little is known

This is a fish for collectors who enjoy a little uncertainty. ScotCat, quoting the IUCN Red List assessment, notes that scientific collections hold only the original specimens from the type locality, and that the fish shown on ornamental-fish websites are most likely, but not certainly, this species. The type locality lies within the Munduruku Indigenous Territory. With no significant threats known, the species is assessed as Least Concern. A 2024 study by Tencatt and colleagues lists it among only nine described corydoras species known from the whole Tapajós basin, against 27 coded, undescribed forms such as CW101 and CW102, which shows how much remains to be learned about corys from this river.

Know what one purchase supplies

One purchase supplies one live Bifasciatus Cory in the standard size we receive, sex not chosen. Planet Catfish notes that females grow larger and more full-bodied, which is easiest to judge from above, while males develop more pointed fin tips as they mature. The gallery images are representative, prepared from a reference photograph, and do not show the individual you will receive; patterns vary between fish.

Plan the group before you buy

Because it is so rarely available, buy the whole group in one order; matching fish may not be offered again for some time.

Plan the aquarium around a 5–6 cm adult

FishBase and Planet Catfish give a maximum of 5.2 cm standard length, measured from the snout to the base of the tail. ScotCat gives 5.5 cm for males and 6.0 cm for females. The difference is small, partly because standard length leaves out the tail, so plan for a fish of 5–6 cm. OATA recommends at least 80 litres for a shoal of small catfish such as corydoras, and notes that bigger tanks hold temperature and water quality more steadily. For a cory, the floor area is what counts.

Run a three-step space check

1. Measure: find the true water volume with our tank volume calculator.
2. Map the floor: keep a broad strip of open sand along the front, with planting and wood behind.
3. Stock carefully: add the corys and all tank mates at adult size to the stocking calculator.

Build a clean sand floor with cover

Planet Catfish's advice is to use sand, with rounded gravel as an imperfect alternative, and to avoid rough or chipped gravel because it damages the barbels when the fish dig. OATA gives the same reason for sand or fine gravel in every catfish tank. Edge the sand with driftwood and plants, leaving an open area where the shoal can search for food and swim, and add shade from overhanging wood, tall plants or floating plants; Planet Catfish notes that this is all a group needs to settle.

Divide the floor by function

Keep the water steady within a broad range

The published water values are generous. FishBase gives 22–26°C, a pH of 6.0–8.0 and a hardness of 2–25°dH; ScotCat gives a slightly narrower 23–25°C and the same pH range. Many UK tap supplies, once treated with a conditioner, fall inside these values, so for this cory the priority is usually stability rather than chemistry. Aim for the middle of the range and avoid sudden swings between water changes.

Test your tap water once before the fish arrive so you know your starting point, and match new water to the tank's temperature at every change. Our water matcher compares your readings with the fish you plan to keep.

Separate habitat values from waste readings

Temperature, pH and hardness describe the habitat; ammonia, nitrite and nitrate measure waste. The first group should be steady, the second near zero. A mature filter is what keeps waste down, and our guide to the nitrogen cycle explains how a new tank builds one.

Filter for clean water and easy surface access

A filter is essential in every aquarium, as OATA says. Choose one that keeps the water clean and well oxygenated with a moderate flow across the floor, and point the outflow so waste is carried to the intake rather than settling on the sand. FishBase records this species as a facultative air-breather, so expect the odd quick dash to the surface to gulp air; that is normal, and it is a reason to leave part of the surface open.

Follow a weekly maintenance sequence

1. Test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and temperature.
2. Siphon the open sand and the feeding point.
3. Change about 25% of the water, as OATA recommends weekly, using conditioned tap water at tank temperature.
4. Remove decaying leaves and plant debris before it rots on the sand.
5. Rinse filter media only in removed tank water, never under the tap.

Feed sinking foods every day

Planet Catfish says the species readily accepts prepared foods that reach the bottom, such as tablets, granules and larger flakes, along with live or frozen bloodworm, white worm, grindal worm, Daphnia and Tubifex, which are also good for conditioning. ScotCat recommends a good flake and tablet food for adults with occasional live or frozen feeds. OATA describes corydoras as omnivorous and says catfish should be fed proper sinking foods rather than left to scavenge.

Build one measured meal

• Amount: what the group eats in a few minutes, once a day, as OATA advises for catfish.
• Staple: small sinking tablets or granules at the feeding point.
• Treats: frozen or live worms and Daphnia two or three times a week.
• Timing: if quicker tank mates steal the food, feed the corys shortly after the main lights go off.
• Check: every fish should show a gently rounded belly.

Introduce new fish carefully

Only add fish to a mature tank in which ammonia and nitrite read zero; OATA warns that stocking too quickly leads to "new tank syndrome". Catfish should travel double-bagged because their spines can pierce bags. Acclimatise with OATA's floating bag method: lights off, float the sealed bag for about 10 minutes, add small amounts of tank water to the bag over up to 20 minutes, then release the fish with as little bag water as possible. Our page on how to acclimatise new fish walks through it. Avoid netting corys where you can, because their fin spines tangle in the mesh.

Use a first-week checkpoint plan

Watch for early warning signs

A settled group forages over the sand together and rests near cover. OATA's catfish care sheet lists the changes worth noticing: unusual swimming, colour turning darker or paler, hiding more than usual, breathing faster or slower, white spots or fluffy growths, fin or scale loss, and changes in body weight or appetite. Our white spot guide explains one of the commonest problems in newly moved fish.

Pair each observation with an action

Choose gentle tank mates

ScotCat describes this cory as very peaceful and best kept with small to medium tank mates such as tetras, rasboras and danios, or in a species tank for breeding. Planet Catfish calls it a peaceful, shoaling community fish. Choose companions that live above the floor, share 23–25°C, and will not bully the corys or strip the food before it sinks.

Decide from the suits and avoid list

From our range, the Penguin Tetra, Diamond Tetra and Beckfordi Pencilfish keep to the water above the sand; check that their own needs overlap. For other Brochis, see the Delphax Cory, the Reticulated Cory and the Emerald Catfish, or browse all our Brochis catfish, the wider South American catfish, every cory catfish we stock and our rare and collector fish. The corydoras care guide covers the group as a whole, the tank mates tool checks a mix before you buy, and our delivery information explains dispatch days.

Help fill the breeding gap

Planet Catfish lists breeding as unreported in the aquarium, so there is no proven method for this species yet. ScotCat suggests a species tank for breeding attempts, and Planet Catfish recommends live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, white worm, grindal worm, Daphnia and Tubifex for conditioning a group. If you try, start with a healthy, well-fed group in which the broader females can be told from the slimmer males, keep the water clean and steady, and keep notes; a first breeding record for a rare cory like this is a genuine contribution.

Answer Bifasciatus Cory buying questions

What is a Bifasciatus Cory?

It is Brochis bifasciata, described by Nijssen in 1972 as Corydoras bifasciatus and also called the Two-stripe Cory. It comes from the Rio Cururu, part of the upper Rio Tapajós system in Pará State, Brazil. ScotCat describes it as very rare in the hobby.

Why does the name end in -a now?

In the 2024 reclassification by Dias and colleagues it moved from Corydoras to Brochis. Because the genus name changed, the species name changed its ending to match, so Corydoras bifasciatus became Brochis bifasciata.

How big does it grow?

FishBase and Planet Catfish give 5.2 cm standard length, measured without the tail. ScotCat gives 5.5 cm for males and 6.0 cm for females. Plan for an adult of about 5–6 cm.

How many should I keep?

At least five, as OATA advises for corydoras, and more if your floor space allows. Planet Catfish describes it as a peaceful, shoaling community fish.

What water does it need?

Aim for 23–25°C, where the FishBase (22–26°C) and ScotCat (23–25°C) figures overlap. Both give a wide pH range of 6.0–8.0, and FishBase gives 2–25°dH, so many UK tap supplies treated with a conditioner are within range; test yours first. Stability matters more than an exact figure.

What does it eat?

Sinking tablets, granules and larger flakes, plus live or frozen bloodworm, white worm, grindal worm, Daphnia and Tubifex, all of which Planet Catfish lists as readily accepted.

Which tank mates suit it?

Small to medium peaceful fish such as tetras, rasboras and danios, as ScotCat suggests, and other calm bottom dwellers. Avoid large, aggressive or territorial fish.

Has it been bred in aquariums?

Planet Catfish lists breeding as unreported in the aquarium. Any successful spawning would be new information worth recording.

Consult the care references

• Planet Catfish Cat-eLog: Brochis bifasciata, Two-stripe Cory: names, type locality, etymology, size, sexing, distribution, foods, décor, compatibility and breeding status.
• ScotCat: Brochis bifasciata factsheet: rarity in the hobby, lineage and 2024 name change, distribution, adult size by sex, temperature, pH and IUCN status.
• FishBase: Brochis bifasciata, Twostripe corydoras: classification, water range, maximum length, distribution, facultative air-breathing and IUCN status.
• Tencatt et al. 2024, Neotropical Ichthyology 22(1): corydoras of the rio Tapajós basin: peer-reviewed description of Corydoras caramater with field notes on the Tapajós streams where CW101 and CW102 shoal with it, how the look-alikes differ, and the list of corydoras known from the Tapajós basin.
• OATA: How to look after freshwater catfish: UK guidance on catfish water values, group size for corydoras, minimum aquarium for small species, sand, acclimatisation, weekly maintenance, feeding portions and health signs.
• Tropical Fish Co delivery policy: current dispatch days and arrival terms.