It’s incredible that new armored catfish are still being discovered in Colombia, a country that has been so thoroughly studied in terms of ichthyology! The hype surrounding Hoplisoma sp. aff. concolor CW217, which was discovered and imported for the first time last fall (2025), has certainly contributed to exporters searching for interesting species outside of the well-known fishing waters—and finding them! Three new CW numbers were recently assigned, and we have now been able to import all three: Hoplisoma sp. CW218, Hoplisoma sp. CW219, and Brochis sp. CW220.
Let’s start with the last one mentioned, Brochis sp. CW220, a longnose catfish. The pattern corresponds to the well-known Hoplisoma davidsandsi from the middle Rio Negro basin in Brazil. This means: eye band present and clearly pronounced, a distinct gap between the eye band and the beginning of the dorsal band, dorsal band begins below the base of the dorsal fin on the dorsal edge and runs diagonally downwards from here to the base of the caudal fin on the ventral edge; all fins without black markings.
Brochis species (i.e., long-snouted catfish) with the markings of Hoplisoma davidsandsi (a round-snouted catfish) have been assigned the following code numbers: C52 (Peru), C159 (Brazil, Rio Purus), CW89 (Colombia, Rio Vaupes) and CW106 (Colombia, Rio Cuduyaria, a tributary of the Rio Vaupes); to our knowledge, none of these have been scientifically described to date. Now Brochis sp. CW220 has been added, which, according to Ian Fuller (www.corydorasworld.com), is found in lagoons in the upper headwaters of the Rio Vaupes near the town of Calamar in Colombia.
The yellowish tint of the fins is striking, as is also known from several variants of the Colombian Osteogaster melanotaenia (see: https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/10-catfishes/corydoras-melanotaenia-2/). Overall, Brochis sp. CW220, which most likely grows to a length of 5-6 cm, is a very beautiful fish and an enrichment to the hobby.
For our customers: CW220 has code 226564 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale customers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
