Breeding Corydoras

The Spawning

Early one morning when sunlight first hits their aquarium (or about an hour or two after turning on the lights) male Corydoras will be seen chasing a ripe female around the aquarium. They frequently nudge her in the belly region and will be seen fondling her with their whiskers. After a few minutes of this sort of stimulation she will be well worked up and start to take an active part in the spawning.

Watch closely and you will see her approach a male and fondle him around his vent. At this time they are in what is called the "T" position and you may well see the male shudder. Next she moves away and sits on the bottom for a few minutes. Eggs are then expelled into a pocket formed by her pelvic fins.

Now she moves off looking for a suitable site to stick her eggs. She frequently mouths areas of glass and plant leaf and eventually will find a spot just to her liking where the eggs are pushed onto.

The chase begins again and after another "T" position with the same male as before, more eggs are expelled. These are splattered onto another spawning site.

 

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