HomeFreshwater aquarium fishCatfish & plecosCorydoras surinamensis Corydoras surinamensis Scientific name: Corydoras surinamensis Nijssen, 1970 Corydoras surinamensis is a freshwater fish of the family Callichthyidae that grows to about 5 cm (2 in). It is easy to keep and peaceful, suits community aquariums and needs a tank of at least 75 L (20 US gal), water at 22–25°C (72–77°F) and a pH of 6.0–8.0. Native range: South America, Coppename River basin in Suriname. Corydoras surinamensis care at a glanceCare levelEasyTemperamentPeacefulCommunity tankGoodAdult size5 cm (2 in)Minimum tank75 L (20 US gal)Temperature22–25°C (72–77°F)pH6.0–8.0Hardness2–25 dGH (36–446 ppm)DietOmnivore. Accepts flakes. Species factsScientific nameCorydoras surinamensisFamilyCallichthyidae (Callichthyid armored catfishes)OrderSiluriformes (Catfish)ClassActinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)Maximum length5.1EnvironmentFreshwater;; pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dH range: 2 - 25 demersalClimateTropicalDistributionSouth America: Coppename River basin in Suriname.Conservation status (IUCN)Not EvaluatedThreat to humansHarmlessResilienceHigh, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.) More catfish & plecosCorydoras sterbaiFalse network catfishCorydoras sodalisSchwartz's catfishCorydoras schwartziGreen gold catfishCorydoras melanotaeniaFalse spotted catfishCorydoras leucomelasSalt and Pepper catfishCorydoras habrosusSee all catfish & plecos SourcesTaxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Aquarium care parameters compiled, checked and converted to metric and imperial units by Guppies.za.net.Last updated 28 September 2026