Armoured Catfishes

In the upper Iténez it most commonly inhabits riparian zones with sandy substrates or edges of sand banks, although it's also been collected in smaller streams and residual flood waters. It typically forms large aggregations of up to several thousand individuals and at the confluence of the ríos Paraguá and Iténez occurs sympatrically with the congener C. paragua.

This species is among the more popular Corydoras in the aquarium hobby and is widely available. It may also be referred to as 'arched cory'. There exist a number of similar-looking congeners, particularly C. urucu (Britto et al., 2009), described from the rio Urucu in Coari municipality, Amazonas state, Brazil, and C. narcissus from the rio Purus. The latter appears to have also been traded as C. sp. 'super arcuatus longnose' while a larg...

This species is sometimes confused any of several similar-looking fishes such as C. sychri or C. sp. C097. While the former is a more elongate fish with a longer snout and quite easy to identify, C097 resembles C. atropersonatus more closely, despite being traded as C. sychri 'longnose'. Its snout is longer than that of C. atropersonatus but shorter than that of C. sychri, and the dark spots on the body tend to be more well-defined and spaced out than in the other two.

This species appears endemic to and abundant within the upper Suriname River system, Suriname. Type locality is given as 'little tributaries of Gran Rio between Ligolio and Awaradam Falls', this corresponding to a section of the Suriname River, which is known as 'Gran Río' in parts of its upper basin, upstream of Brokopondo reservoir and not...

Type locality is 'Río Yuruari, 3 kilometers east of El Callao, 7°18'N, 61°50'W, Bolivar, Venezuela', and this species is also known from the Rupununi River drianage in Guyana and the Courantyne/Corantijn system in Suriname. The Yuruari, an affluent of the Río Cuyuni, an...

This small species can be told apart from the similar-looking congener C. habrosus by possession of 4-5 (vs. 2-3) dark markings along the side of the body.

This species is popular in the aquarium hobby and unlike the majority of congeners tends to spend a fair amount of time away from the substrate, often forming groups in midwater. It has been placed in the unofficial 'C. elegans group', which contains a number of species exhibiting similarities in morphology and colour pattern, some of which remain unidentified in scientific terms.

This species is exceptionally rare in the aquarium hobby. Among congeners it is most similar to C. lacrimostigmata but can be distinguished by...

It is most similar to S. macropterus, but differs in absence (vs. presence) of a black spot on the base of the median caudal-fin rays, a higher number of pectoral-fin rays (I,8,i vs. I,7,i), males with somewhat more slender bodies (25.7- 30.5% in SL [range 26.3-28.8% in type series] vs. 30.4-34.6% in SL), an...

This species is sometimes referred to as 'false corydoras' or 'sixray corydoras'. A. pauciradiatus can be distinguished from congeners by possession of 6 soft dorsal-fin rays, as opposed to 7 in other Aspidoras species, plus its distinctive colour pattern. Aspidoras species are distinguished from the very...

Aspidoras spp. are foraging omnivores and will accept most sinking dried foods, as well as small live and frozen varieties such as chironomid larvae (bloodworm), Tubifex, etc. Feeding a varied diet will ensure the fish are in optimum condition.

A. taurus can be told apart from congeners by the following combination of characters: infraorbitals and preopercle covered by thick skin and not visible externally (vs. covered by thin skin and externally visible in other Aspidoras); nuchal plate reduced, covered by thick skin and not visible externally (vs. well developed, covered by thin skin and visible externally); lateral line absent posterior to two small lateral line ossicles (vs. lateral line present on at least first body plate).

Despite the ubiquity of its name in aquarium literature, confusion surrounds its true identity. Given it's the only member of the genus occurring on the island, fish from Trinidad do presumably represent C. aeneus (see our image), but the classification of those from other localities appears far from certain. Today the species is accepted to occur throughout much of South America, and indeed similarly-patterned fish do occur across a large portion of the continent. Some of these, such as the gree...

Brochis was first synonymised with Corydoras by Britto (2003), since the latter genus cannot be considered monophyletic if the former is accepted as valid. This decision has been supported in subsequent phylogenetic studies by Shimabukuro-Dias et al. (2004) and Alexandrou et al. (2011), although the name Brochis is still common in aquarium literature. It is likely that the genus will be revalidated and expanded in the future following a required taxonomic review of the subfamily Corydoradinae as suggested by Alexandrou and Taylor (2011).

The most obvious distinguishing characters are that the black marking in the upper part of the body is restricted to the area beneath the dorsal-fin and extends into the majority of the fin , while the paler patch anterior to it, on top of the head, is yellowish rather than orangish. Additional diagnostic characters have proven unavailable thus far since it was described in a hobbyist magazi...

This species can be told apart from congeners by its uniformly greyish colour pattern, deep body (fitting 2.1-2.4 times in standard length), large eye (3.2-4.0 times in head length), having the pectoral fins completely surrounded by the coracoid, and relatively long dorsal-fin spine (1.1-1.2 times in head length).

This species occurs alongside the similar-looking congener C. oiapoquensis in nature, from which it can be told apart by the following combination of characters: larger adult size; narrower body (body breadth fits 4.0-4.4 times in standard length vs. 3.4-3.8 times in C. oiapoquensis); shorter pectoral spine (3.4-3.8 times in SL vs. 2.7-3.2 times); longer snout (1.7-1.9 times in SL vs. 2.0-2.2).

This species is not well known and rarely traded for the aquarium hobby. Unfortunately diagnostic characters cannot be provided since we’ve been unable to obtain the type description, and little has been written about this species since it was published. It looks very similar to several congeners, particularly C. acrensis and C. cruziensis.

This species is not well-documented but is said to differ from the comparable C. punctatus by possessing larger dark markings on the body which may form an irregular midlateral stripe in some specimens. Unfortunately diagnostic characters cannot be provided since we’ve been unable to obtain the type description, and little has been written about the species since it was published.

The type series was said to have been collected from a "whitewater area", but images of the rio Unini depict a blackwater system typical of the rio Negro basin, and this is supported by empirical evidence. There are sections of rapidly-flowing water so perhaps this is what the author was referring to. Habitats should therefore comprise tributaries and areas of flooded forest where the water is...

Unfortunately, precise diagnostic characters cannot currently be provided since we’ve been unable to obtain the type description, and little has been Characters said to separate it from species such as C. ambiacus, C. agassizii, C. brevirostris, C. ephippifer, and C. melanistius include a combination of relatively elongated snout, dark spots on body fading in adults, dark anterior dorsal-fin patch extending to upper extremity of fin, and presence of spots in the caudal-fin.

Although described as a member of Corydoras this species was later moved into the genus Osteogaster by Cope (1894), but this was later synonymised with Corydoras by Gosline (1940). It is sometimes confused with C. venezuelanus, while two similar-looking, unidentified fishes from Peru have been assigned the codes CW007 and CW043, respectively.

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua...

This species' range is unclear with collection records scarce, although it certainly occurs in the 'Tres Fronteras' region of the western Amazon river basin where the borders of Brazil, Colombia, and Peru meet. Type locality is 'Lakes of the Isla de Mocagua, Amazon River, near Leticia, Comisaría del Amazonas, 3°54'S, 70°14'W, Colombia'.

The congener C. seussi, which is also native to the rio Mamoré, has a similar colour pattern but its snout is noticeably prolonged compared with that of C. gossei, plus there are some subtle differences in pigmentation. There is a third variant which has been referred to as 'CW069' in the aquarium hobby and appears to be somewhat intermediate, with a short, rounded snout as in C. gossei but a colour pattern more reminiscent of C. seussi.

It can be distinguished from the majority of other Corydoras species by its distinctive colour pattern, comprising a uniform, lightish base pigmentation with a dark arched stripe extending over the upper portion of each flank, from the tip of the snout to the caudal-fin base. This is shared with a few congeners, however, including C. arcuatus, C. narcissus, and C. urucu.

Native to Guyana, where it may be restricted to the Potaro River, a major tributary within the Essequibo watershed. It was described from aquarium specimens which were said to have been collected in 'very small water courses of the Amazon', but the type locality was corrected to 'Guyana-Essequibo, Potaro River, Kuribong trail' by Nijssen and Isbrücker (1980).

C. guapore is a sought after aquarium fish although it is not often traded. It exhibits slightly different behaviour to the majority of congeners in that it tends to form aggregations in midwater and spends a large proportion of its time away from the substrate. Its morphology exhibits corresponding adaptations towards a pelagic existence with a relatively large eye, a more terminal mouth position, more strongly-forked caudal-fin, and more symmetrical body shape than most other Corydoras species.

The majority of records derive from the Río Apure watershed in southwestern Venezuela, where C. habrosus has been collected in the states of Portuguesa, Cojedes, Barinas, Guárico, and Apure. Its distribution in Colombia is less clear but it is known with certainty from the Río Arauca and Río Casanare, the latter a tributary of the lower Río Meta, and it makes sense that it should also be found in other left bank Orinoco affluents between the Meta and Apure, which include the ríos Cinaruco and Capanaparo.

The original type locality is 'Rio Guaporé, Brazil', supposedly in the vicinity of Pontes e Lacerda in Mato Grosso state. However, this was modified by Nijssen and Isbrücker (1980) to 'Brazil-Goias, Rio Tocantins, road between Pedro-Afonso (08°59'S 48°12'W) and Itacajá (08°18'S 47°45'W)'. This is confusing since the distance between these two localities is well over 1000 km, although it appears that the former is correct as per our image of specimens with locality details.

It exhibits slightly different behaviour to the majority of congeners in that it tends to swim in midwater and spends a large proportion of its time away from the substrate. Its morphology exhibits corresponding adaptations towards a pelagic existence with a relatively large eye, a more terminal mouth position, more strongly-forked caudal-fin, and more symmetrical body shape than most other Corydoras species.

Endemic to the upper rio Negro basin in Amazonas state, northern Brazil, and Amazonas state, southern Venezuela. One specific locality is Igarapé Muiá (00°09'03"N 66°48'10"W). Type locality is 'Upper Rio Negro, eastern Amazonas, Brazil', which is thought to refer to forest brooks crossing the "new army road", north of São Gabriel da Cachoeira municipality.

C. incolicana was the first recipient of a 'C' number (see below) in 1993 and was described the same year. Unfortunately its description was published in an aquarium hobbyist magazine, and we have been unable to obtain a copy to date meaning its diagnosis is unavailable. It is therefore difficult to identify accurately, not least because its type locality is in a relatively remote area, and there exist a number of superficially similar Corydoras species or populations in the aquarium trade.

Native to coastal river systems south of the Amazon delta in the states of Piauí, Maranhão, Pará, and Amapá, northeastern Brazil. It has been recorded from the rios Guamá (including tributaries such as the rio Ararandeua), Maracanã (rio Peixe-Boi), Morcego, Parnaíba, Piriá, Caeté, Turiaçu (rio Jamari), and Mearim (rio Pindaré). Reports from French Guiana and western Brazil appear to represent cases of misidentification.

Prior to description C. kanei was assigned the 'C' numbers C026 and C046. Among congeners it is most easily-confused with, and sometimes traded as, C. atropersonatus, but can be identified by presence (vs. absence in C. atropersonatus) of dark markings in the anal and caudal fins, presence of numerous, smaller (vs. fewer, larger) dark spots on the body, and an overall darker (vs. paler) base colouration.

Unfortunately diagnostic characters cannot be provided since we have been unable to obtain the type description to date, and little else has been written about this species. There is also confusion regarding whether C. lamberti, the unidentified 'C009', and similar-looking fish collected close to Iquitos are conspecific or not. We include all together here until these issues are resolved.

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua...

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua...

In the aquarium hobby, the population from the rio Tiquié has been referred to as 'C084', while a similar, but larger, form from the Río Huallaga in Peru is known as 'C085'. Both forms have been marketed as C. sp. 'mega metae'. The existence of multiple, similarly-coloured species which coexist and sometimes form mixed schools is relatively common in the genus.

Endemic to the Río Meta, a major tributary of the Río Orinoco in eastern Colombia and western Venezuela. It is known from several tributaries within the upper basin including the ríos Humea, Ocoa, Guatiquía (including its two branches the ríos Negrito and Guayuriba), Manacacias, and Metica (the name given to the upper Río Meta above its confluence with the Río Humea). It appears to be absent from the lower Meta and has not been recorded in Venezuela.

The genus is included in the family Callichthyidae, of which members are often referred to collectively as 'armoured' or 'mailed' catfishes group due to the presence of bony plates in place of scales on the body. Their taxonomy can be confusing, and numerous undescribed species are also thought to exist.

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua...

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua...

This species occurs alongside a near-identical congener, C. condiscipulus in nature. In fact condiscipulus literally means 'schoolmate', as the species are often found shoaling together. The only external difference between the 2 seems to be the longer snout and wider distribution within the Rio Oyapock of condiscipulus....

An attractive larger cory.

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua...

The form from the Río Tigre, previously referred to as the subspecies C. p. orcesi (Weitzman & Nijssen, 1970) was raised to full species status as C. orcesi by Isbrücker (2001), but this decision does not appear to have been followed by all authorities some of which consider C. p. orcesi a synonym of C. pastazensis. The two species are relatively easy to tell apart by colour pattern; in C. pastazensis the dark vertical...

This species has a similar patterning to C. sterbai, but lacks the orange pectoral spines of that species. It's rare in the hobby....

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua...

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua...

The broad dark stripe in the dorsal portion of the body extends into the ventral portion on the caudal peduncle, and this character can be used to distinguish it from the very similar-looking C. zygatus, with which it is often confused. In C. zygatus the dark stripe does not extend ventrally on the caudal peduncle and is present only on the dorsal part.

Also known as the network cory, this is one of the commoner species seen in dealers tanks, and is a good cory for the beginner.

A strikingly-patterned cory that has only bred in aquaria quite recently. It's also known as the bannertail cory.

There are 2 other species that superficially resemble C. septentrionalis. These are C. simulatus and C. amapaensis. Simulatus differs from septentrionalis by the absence of the third set of small, upper (rictal) barbels, situated behind the other two pairs in both septentrionalis and amapaensis. Amapaensis differs in that it has a clear caudal fin. This fin is noticeably barred in septentrionalis....

Very similar in appearance to C. gossei, seussi can be distinguished by its less rounded snout. It may also be referred to by its C-number, C027.

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua...

This species was formerly included in the genus Brochis alongside C. britskii and C. multiradiatus, and is sometimes referred to as 'common brochis'. Juveniles have a mottled colour pattern and are sometimes traded as 'hi-fin cory' due to their enlarged dorsal-fin. C. splendens can be told apart from other ex-Brochis species by possession of 10-12 dorsal-fin rays...

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua...

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua...

Known from the Ucayali (río Samiria), Huallaga, Santiago, and Pastaza (ríos Bobonaza and Pindo) river systems in eastern Ecuador and northern Peru. These are all tributary drainages within the middle Río Marañón watershed, a major affluent of the upper Amazon river basin. Type locality is 'Río Hallagua system, Yurimaguas...

This species was previously referred to as M. thoracata, but that name is now applied to the species with a relatively short dorsal-fin spine which was formerly known as M. personata. M. picta can be told apart from M. thoracata by presence of a dark vertical bar in the caudal-fin, a comparatively longer dorsal-fin spine (52.0-64.0% vs. 32.0-48.0% of dorsal-fin base in specimens measur...

Still widely referred to as hoplosternum thoracatum the hoplo cat is a popular and hardy fish. These fish have the ability to breathe atmospheric air by gulping down mouthfuls of air and the oxygen is then absorbed into the bloodstream through the intestine. This allows the fish to endure poor conditions in the wild but it can still be observed exhibiting this behaviour in captivity. The hoplo is also eaten as a food fish in parts of South America....

Scleromystax spp. are foraging omnivores, and most will accept sinking dried foods as well as small live and frozen varieties such as chironomid larvae (bloodworm), Tubifex, etc. Feeding a varied diet will ensure the fish are in optimum condition. Under no circumstances should they be expected to survive on 'left-overs' from other inhabitants of the aquarium or relied on to 'clean' the aquarium.

This fish is one of a number of apparently unidentified Scleromystax species known in the aquarium hobby. The genus Scleromystax is included in the family Callichthyidae, of which members are often referred to collectively as 'armoured' or 'mailed' catfishes group due to the presence of bony plates in place of scales on the body.

Type locality is 'Furo do Lago São Francisco, 7°40'S, 72°39'W, tributary at left bank of Rio Juruá, Acre State, Brazil', and C. acrensis appears to be endemic to the rio Juruá basin. Unfortunately diagnostic characters cannot be provided since we've been unable to obtain the type description, and little has been written about this species since it was published.

This species can be confused with three similar-looking fishes of uncertain taxonomic status which have been assigned the C numbers C024, C077, and C109 in the aquarium hobby. C024 and C109 are unlikely to be conspecific in that they occur in Pará state, Brazil, several thousand kilometers outside the range of C. acutus, in the rio Guamá (Tocantins drainage), and lower rio Xingu, respectively.

Type locality is given as 'Small tributary of the upper Rio Negro on the equator near São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Brazil', and this species is apparently highly endemic there. Some sources state that it also occurs in the rio Uaupés (known as 'Vaupés' in Colombia), a major tributary of the Negro, but we've been unable to obtain confirmation thus far.

This species' name is commonly misapplied to a number of similar-looking fishes and it can be difficult to identify if collection locality is unknown. In addition, colour pattern is variable and it's not clear whether this occurs between, within, or both between and within populations. In the original description, Steindachner did note that the first three dorsal-fin rays are completely black while the remainder is whi...

Described from the Río Ampiyacu, a small tributary draining into the main Amazon channel in Loreto Department, northeastern Peru, with additional records from the Yavarí (Javari), Napo, Nanay, and lower Ucayali drainage basins. All of these are Amazon tributaries, and C. ambiacus appears to occur in most or all affluents of the main Amazon channel between th...

Fish collected in the upper rio Maderia basin in Brazil and Bolivia have been traded under the invented names C. sp. 'dorsalis' and C. sp. 'ogawae' in the past, although are officially-considered conspecific with C. armatus. This appears to warrant investigation since the Río Huallaga in Peru, type locality of C. armatus, and collection localities in the upper Madeira are separated by a straight-line distance of almost 2500 km.

This species is somewhat variable in appearance and can have between 1-3 dark lateral stripes on each flank, for example. It's also known by the alternative common name 'pink corydoras'. It looks similar to the congener C. loxozonus plus unidentified fishes which have been assigned the codes C003 and CW021, and all four are sometimes traded under the fabricated names C. 'deckeri' or C. sp. 'decker/deker'.

C. brevirostris was described from an aquarium specimen apparently exported from the Río Orinoco drainage in Venezuela, and its wider distribution is somewhat vague, usually being given as the Orinoco system plus unnamed coastal rivers in Suriname. This represents a somewhat disjunct pattern of distribution and if correct the species is also likely to occur in Guyana.

This species is not available on a commercial basis but was collected and introduced to the aquarium hobby by Hans Georg-Evers in 2010. It's similar in appearance to a number of congeners including C. diphyes, C. erhardti, C. garbei, C. paleatus and C. steindachneri but can be told apart from most of them by possession of two large, indistinct, dark blotches in the middle of each flank.

C. caudimaculatus may be confused with the congener C. similis but can be told apart by possession of a well-defined, blackish spot on the caudal peduncle vs. a 'smudged' bluish marking. C. guapore also has a comparable colour pattern but possesses a distinctly rounded snout and tends to swim above the substrate.

This species is among a number of congeners native to the rio Negro region to possess a colour pattern with an oblique dark bar running along the dorsal surface of the body. This unofficial group also includes C. burgessi, C. davidsandsi, C. duplicareus, C. imitator, C. melini, and C. serratus, and among these C. duplicareus is most easily-confused with C. adolfoi.

Known from southern Sao Paulo to northern Santa Catarina states in eastern Brazil, including the rios Jaraguá, Iguaçu, Tejuco, Ribeira de Iguape, Guabiroba, Tibagi, Capivari, Lindo, Itapocu, São Pedro, and upper Rio Paranapanema.

This species appears superficially similar to a number of congeners including C. ambiacus, C. agassizii, C. brevirostris, C. delphax, and C. melanistius. Among these C. ephippifer seems to be unique in that all fins except the dorsal are transparent and lack markings.

Known only from the rio Ivaí basin, a tributary of the rio Paraná in Paraná state, southern Brazil. Type locality is 'Brazil, Paraná, Cândido de Abreu, rio Maria Flora, tributary to rio Ubazinho, rio Ivaí basin...

This species can be identified from similar-looking congeners by possession of a pair of small rictal barbels. Its colour pattern can vary considerably depending on collection locality, with some forms having been misidentified as other species in the past. Those possessing a dark marking on the sides of the body are sometimes referred to as Corydoras sp. 'olga'.

This unidentified species was originally traded under the C-numbers C115 and C116 but these two are now thought to represent the same species, while fish collected from Manú National Park and sold as C. sp. 'Manu 1 long nose', C. sp. 'Manu 4', C. sp. 'Manu 7', and C. sp. 'Manu 8' may represent this species as well. It's highly variable in terms of colour patter...

This species is sometime referred to as 'Virginia's catfish', Corydoras sp. 'Sangama' or 'Zangama', and prior to description was misidentified as both Corydoras bicolor and C. delphax. Unfortunately additional diagnostic characters cannot be provided since we've been unable to obtain the type description, and little has been written about this species since it was published.

In addition, the colour pattern in aquarium fish traded or identified as C. fowleri is highly variable, but it is unclear whether such differences represent diversity within or between populations. Nevertheless, colour pattern is typically used to distinguish them, with fish from Peru possessing a greater extent of dark pigmentation on the body generally referred to...

The Río Calchaquí rises at almost 6000 m AMSL and flows swiftly through a mountainous valley where it is largely fed by snow melt. The climate is semi-arid and cool with an air temperature of 12-18°C, while rainfall is largely concentrated during summer when the flow can be torrential. The water is hard and rich in salts, with pH measured at 8.04 during the month of August. Aquatic vegetation and filamentous algae grow around the margins and in tributaries.

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua...

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua...

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua...

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua...

There are 4 other species of cory that may be confused with C. ourastigma at first glance. These are C. guapore, C. caudimaculatus, C. similis and C. spectabilis. They can be distinguished quite easily upon close examination, however. C. guapore, whilst exhibiting similar patterning, has a completely different body shape to ourastigma, having a much more rounded overall appearance. It also tends to spend a lot of time away from the aquarium floor, unlike ourastigma. C. caudimaculatus also has a ...

Corydoras are members of the armoured catfish family. The genus name means "helmet skin" and the fish live up to this name as they are rather tough little fish. They also have spines in the leading rays of the pectoral fins to deter larger predators from eating them. Corydoras are sometimes observed taking a gulp of air at the water surface: this is because they can absorb oxygen through their gut. It is not known why cories do this even on oxygen rich waters. Along with the bronze ...

This species may also be referred to by its C-number, C005.

It also exhibits morphological adaptations to an existence among rocks in a flowing environment, such as a cryptic colour pattern, reduced spine length in the dorsal and pectoral fins, ventrally-oriented pectoral fins, slightly emarginate caudal-fin, and reduced body depth. Reduced fin spines and body depth are typical features associated with the related genus Aspidoras, but the...

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua...

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua...

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua...

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua...

This species was named the millenium cory because it was the first catfish species to be described in the year 2000. It was in fact described in late 1999, but the date of the journal containing the information was 01/2000. There are 4 other species of cory that may be confused with C. spectabilis at first glance. These are C. guapore, C. ourastigma, C. similis and C. caudimaculatus. They can be distinguished quite easily upon close examination, however. C. guapore, whilst exhibiting similar pat...

So named because of the row of spots running along the lateral line, the porthole cat is a good community species. Newly imported fish tend to be a little delicate and are susceptible to disease. This is at least in part because all specimens sold for the trade are wild caught. Once acclimatised, it usually proves very hardy and can be exceptionally long-lived for a fish of this size, having the potential to survive for over 10 years....

A good choice for the larger community tank. Newly imported fish tend to be a little delicate and can be susceptible to disease. This is at least in part because all specimens sold for the trade are wild caught. Once acclimatised it usually proves very hardy and adaptable....

Known from minor rivers in the coastal states of São Paolo, Paraná, and Santa Catarina, southern Brazil, plus some tributaries of the rio Paraná basin in Paraguay. Type locality is 'Paranaguá, 25°32'S, 48°36'W, Paraná, Brazil'.

C. amandajanea is rare in the aquarium trade and appears to be variable in colour pattern to an extent, with some individuals posssessing relatively larger dark spots on the body, for example. Unfortunately diagnostic characters cannot be provided since we've been unable to obtain the type description, and little has been written about this species since it was published.

C. aurofrenatus is currently understood to occur throughout much of the Río Paraguay-Paraná system in Paraguay, and has also been recorded in Argentina and Bolivia. It was described from Paraguay with type locality given as 'Aguada near Arroyo Trementina'. The latter is stated to be a tributary of the 'Rio Aquido Canigi'.

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua...

Scleromystax spp. are foraging omnivores, and most will accept sinking dried foods as well as small live and frozen varieties such as chironomid larvae (bloodworm), Tubifex, etc. Feeding a varied diet will ensure the fish are in optimum condition. Under no circumstances should they be expected to survive on 'left-overs' from other inhabitants of the aquarium or relied on to 'clean' the aquarium.