Hognose Brochis (Brochis multiradiata)

Meet the Hognose Brochis

The Hognose Brochis is Brochis multiradiata, a long-snouted armoured catfish from the north-western Amazon basin in Ecuador and Peru. Its back and upper flanks shine metallic green and bronze over a pale cream belly, and its snout runs forward and down to a mouth fringed with barbels, which is where the "hognose" name comes from. It belongs to the corydoras family, the Callichthyidae, and lives like a large, busy cory: it stays on the bottom, sifts sand for food in small groups and darts to the surface now and then to gulp air.

The species was described by Orcés in 1960 from a tributary of the Río Lagartococha near Garza-Cocha, in the upper Río Napo system of Ecuador. Its name means "many rays" and refers to the dorsal fin, which carries far more rays than a normal cory's: Seriously Fish gives 17–18 dorsal rays, against 6–8 in the corydoras and their close relatives. That tall, many-rayed fin and the long snout together make the Hognose Brochis one of the most distinctive fish in the family.

Check the names on the label

The genus has moved twice. Seriously Fish explains that Britto merged Brochis into Corydoras in 2003, and that Dias and colleagues revalidated Brochis in 2024 and placed this species back in it. You will therefore find the same fish under three genus names, depending on the age of the book or website. Browse its relatives in our Brochis catfish range, the wider South American catfish category and our full corydoras collection.

Tell it apart from the Emerald Catfish

The fish most often confused with it is the Emerald Catfish, Brochis splendens, which shares the metallic green colour. Two features separate them. First, the snout: Planet Catfish names the hog-like snout as the mark that sets this species apart from the other brochis. Second, the dorsal fin: Seriously Fish gives B. splendens 10–12 rays, B. britskii 15–18 (normally 15) and the Hognose Brochis 17–18, while Planet Catfish says 15–18, usually 17. A short-snouted fish with a modest dorsal fin is not this species.

Know what one purchase supplies

One purchase supplies one live Hognose Brochis at the standard size offered on this listing. It is a shoaling fish, so choose the quantity for a whole group and order them together; a lone fish is likely to stay nervous and hidden. Youngsters are smaller than the adults described below, so plan the aquarium for grown fish from the start.

Sex is not specified. Seriously Fish and Planet Catfish both describe adult females as larger and fuller-bodied, best seen from above, and Planet Catfish adds that males develop more pointed fin tips, but these differences are hard to judge in young fish. The photographs show the species, not the individual you will receive; the depth of the green sheen changes with lighting, age and mood.

Plan the group before you order

• Adult length: 67 mm standard length (Planet Catfish and FishBase) or 100 mm (Seriously Fish).
• Group: at least six to eight, according to Seriously Fish.
• Aquarium: a 120 × 45 cm base with water about 45 cm deep.
• Temperature: 21–24°C, the band all three sources share.
• Floor: fine sand with open areas and a few shaded refuges.
• Food: sinking pellets or tablets daily, small frozen foods several times a week.

Before ordering, read our delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee information and have the aquarium running, mature and at temperature, so the group goes straight into stable water.

Give a long-snouted catfish a 120 cm floor

Seriously Fish gives a minimum base of 120 × 45 cm, about 243 litres, for a group of Hognose Brochis, with a recommended size of 120 × 45 × 45 cm. That is more than many corydoras need, because this is a bigger, more active fish that patrols the whole floor. Planet Catfish adds that it prefers deeper water of at least 18 inches, about 45 cm. OATA's catfish guidance gives at least 80 litres for a shoal of smaller corydoras, which shows how far above the cory minimum this species sits.

Floor area matters more than height for any bottom-dwelling shoal. Every catfish, loach and other bottom fish in the tank shares the same sand, so count them together when you judge whether there is room. Our tank volume calculator turns your measurements into litres if you are not sure what your aquarium holds.

Use a three-step space check

1. Measure the base: 120 cm long and 45 cm from front to back, or more.
2. Check the depth: about 45 cm of water, as Planet Catfish suggests.
3. Count the floor fish: add up every bottom dweller planned for the tank and make sure open sand remains between the décor for all of them to feed at once.

Lay soft sand and shaded refuges

A Hognose Brochis feeds by pushing its snout and barbels into the substrate, so the floor needs to be soft. Seriously Fish calls fine sand ideal and accepts rounded gravel only if it is kept very clean; OATA also recommends sand or fine gravel to protect the barbels. Sharp or dirty gravel can damage the barbels the fish rely on to find food.

Planet Catfish describes the ideal layout as open spaces of substrate with rock or wood refuges raised slightly off the floor, giving the shade these fish like to rest under in their rare quiet moments. It suits an Amazon river layout well: a long run of pale sand, a few pieces of driftwood, smooth stones and subdued light, with plants kept to the back and sides.

Fix plants so they stay put

• Expect digging: Planet Catfish warns that this species will uproot plants at the first opportunity.
• Use pots: plant stem and rooted plants in small pots buried in the sand, as Planet Catfish suggests.
• Tie on epiphytes: plants that grow on wood or stone stay in place whatever the fish do.
• Keep the front open: leave a clear sand area at the front where food lands and you can watch the group feed.

Hold the water in the range the sources share

The three main references give slightly different water values, so the safest target is the band they all agree on.

Aim for 21–24°C and pH 6.0–7.2, with soft to moderately hard water inside the Seriously Fish band of 2–12 dGH. UK tap water varies a great deal from region to region, so test your general and carbonate hardness, or read your water company's hardness report, before you decide whether the tap water needs blending with softer water. Make any change gradually, over several water changes. Our water matcher compares your readings with the needs of each fish you plan to keep.

Separate habitat values from waste readings

Temperature, pH and hardness describe the habitat. Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate describe waste, and OATA's limits apply whatever the species: ammonia and nitrite at zero, and nitrate no more than 20 mg per litre above your tap water. A new aquarium must finish its nitrogen cycle before the group arrives, and a bottom-feeding shoal is the first to suffer when waste builds up in the sand.

Filter for clean sand and steady oxygen

A group of foraging catfish stirs up the sand all day, so choose a filter rated for the whole aquarium and set the outlet to move the surface without blasting the floor. Seriously Fish notes that brochis are facultative air breathers with a modified, highly vascularised intestine: an occasional dash to the surface for a gulp of air is normal. Leave a gap below the cover glass so the fish can always reach the surface. If the whole group starts making frequent trips upward, test the water at once.

Follow a weekly maintenance sequence

1. Test: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, as OATA advises at least weekly.
2. Siphon: change at least 25% of the water, running the siphon just over the sand to lift waste without removing the substrate.
3. Condition: treat the new water with a tap water conditioner and bring it close to tank temperature.
4. Rinse: clean filter media only in removed tank water, never under the tap.
5. Record: note the readings so slow changes show up early.

Feed a forager on the sand

Seriously Fish describes the Hognose Brochis as a foraging omnivore that accepts most sinking dried foods and small live or frozen foods such as bloodworm and Tubifex, and stresses that it should not be expected to survive on leftovers or to clean the tank. Planet Catfish says live bloodworm and tubifex are especially relished, and suggests offering tubifex in a shallow ceramic dish so the worms cannot settle into the sand and foul the water.

OATA advises feeding once a day and giving only what the fish clear within a few minutes. Spread sinking food over the open sand rather than dropping it in one spot, so every fish in the group gets a share.

Build one measured meal

• Base: a good-quality sinking pellet or tablet, enough for the group to finish in a few minutes.
• Protein: frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp or daphnia two or three times a week.
• Spread: scatter food across the front sand area so slower fish can feed.
• Clear up: siphon out anything left after the feeding period.

Settle new fish in gently

OATA recommends double-bagging catfish because their spines can puncture a bag. At home, switch off the aquarium lights, float the sealed bag for 10 minutes to match the temperature, then add small amounts of tank water to the bag over up to 20 minutes before releasing the fish and discarding the bag water. Our guide to acclimatising new fish covers each step.

Handle them with care. Seriously Fish warns that the stiff pectoral-fin spines can pierce skin and give a painful sting, and that secretions from glands at the base of the spines may be mildly toxic. The same spines snag easily in fine nets, so guide the fish into a container where possible.

Use a first-week checkpoint plan

Watch the group and act on changes

OATA lists the signs of a healthy fish as clear eyes, undamaged fins, no ulcers or bumps, normal swimming and steady breathing. For a bottom-dwelling catfish, the barbels and the way the fish feeds tell you most: a confident group spreads out and works the sand together.

Pair each observation with an action

Choose tank mates that leave room to feed

Seriously Fish describes the Hognose Brochis as peaceful and gregarious and rates it fine with other fish. Planet Catfish calls it an ideal community resident that can live with most fish, notes that its larger size helps it compete for food better than corydoras do, and says it is boisterous enough for livelier aquariums. It is perfect for an Amazon river biotope with calm, mid-water fish above a busy group of brochis on the sand.

Screen each tank mate with four questions

1. Does its temperature range overlap 21–24°C?
2. Will it leave the sand free at feeding time?
3. Is it too small to be bullied, or too big to be safe with an active catfish?
4. Does the floor still have room once every bottom dweller is counted?

Our tank mates checker runs through these questions for the fish you have in mind, and the corydoras care guide covers the family's general needs.

Record any breeding attempt

Little is known about breeding this species. Seriously Fish lists reproduction as unreported, and Planet Catfish says a spawning was once reported but no details survive, beyond the suggestion that it spawns much like a cory. If your group spawns, note the water values, temperature changes and foods that came before it; a written record would add to what is known about the species.

Answer Hognose Brochis buying questions

What is a Hognose Brochis?

It is Brochis multiradiata, a long-snouted armoured catfish from the north-western Amazon basin in Ecuador and Peru. It belongs to the corydoras family, Callichthyidae, and is sometimes sold as the Long-finned Brochis or under the older names Brochis multiradiatus and Corydoras multiradiatus.

How big does the Hognose Brochis grow?

The sources disagree. Planet Catfish and FishBase give 67 mm standard length (body length without the tail), while Seriously Fish gives 100 mm. Plan the aquarium for the larger figure.

How many should I keep?

Seriously Fish recommends a group of at least six to eight. One purchase is one fish, so add the number you need to the basket in one order.

What size aquarium does it need?

Seriously Fish gives a base of 120 × 45 cm, about 243 litres, and Planet Catfish says it prefers water at least 18 inches (about 45 cm) deep. Most of that space should be open sand.

What water does it need?

Aim for 21–24°C and pH 6.0–7.2, the band shared by Seriously Fish, Planet Catfish and FishBase, with soft to moderately hard water (Seriously Fish gives 2–12 dGH). Keep ammonia and nitrite at zero.

How do I tell it from the Emerald Catfish?

Look at the snout and the dorsal fin. The Hognose Brochis has a long, sloping snout and 17–18 dorsal rays according to Seriously Fish; the Emerald Catfish, Brochis splendens, has a short snout and 10–12 rays.

What does it eat?

It is a foraging omnivore. Give a good sinking pellet or tablet every day and small frozen or live foods such as bloodworm several times a week. It should not be left to live on leftovers.

Has it been bred in aquariums?

Not in any detail. Seriously Fish lists reproduction as unreported, and Planet Catfish says a spawning was reported but no details survive beyond it being similar to corydoras.

Consult the care references

• Seriously Fish: Brochis multiradiata (Hognose Brochis) — names and synonyms, type locality, 100 mm SL maximum, 120 × 45 cm base, 20–26°C, pH 6.0–7.5, 2–12 dGH, group of six to eight, dorsal-ray counts, the 2003 and 2024 genus changes, air breathing and the stinging spines.
• Planet Catfish Cat-eLog: Brochis multiradiata — common names, etymology, 67 mm SL, the hog-like snout and 15–18 dorsal rays, sexing, pH 6.0–7.2, 21–24°C, deeper water, plant-uprooting, feeding tips and tank mates.
• FishBase: Brochis multiradiatus, Hognosed brochis — classification, 6.7 cm SL maximum, 21–24°C, pH 6.0–7.2, hardness up to 15 dH, western Amazon distribution and IUCN Least Concern status.
• OATA: How to look after freshwater catfish — UK guidance for catfish on water quality limits, weekly testing and 25% water changes, double-bagging, the floating-bag method, feeding amounts, sand for the barbels and warning signs.
• Tropical Fish Co delivery policy — current dispatch days and Live Arrival Guarantee terms.