Despite its extensive natural distribution S. lilith is uncommon in the ornamental trade, where it is sometimes referred to as ‘one-spotted demon fish’ or ‘one spot eartheater’.

It can be distinguished from other members of the genus by possessing a single dark blotch on the flank and a prominent ocellus at the caudal-fin base. Among the named species it is most similar to S. daemon, but that species possesses two blotches on the flank.

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.

This species has been recorded from the Guaporé, Madeira, Branco, Trombetas, and Urubu river systems within the Amazon river basin, Brazil.

Type locality is ‘Igarapé Jatuarana, 5 kilometers above Samuel, Rio Guaporé, Rondonia, Brazil’.

I. geisleri is typically exported for the aquarium trade alongside the similar-looking congener I. adujai (Géry, 1970) but can be identified by presence (vs. absence in I. adujai) of a black lateral stripe on the body beneath the red stripe, and possession of 20-25 (vs. 28-34) anal-fin rays.

This species was described from a single specimen and included in the genus Leporinus until 2011 at which point the holotype was examined and recognised as corresponding to the fish described as Synaptolaemus cingulatus (Myers & Fernández-Yépez, 1950).

Décor is relatively unimportant and maintenance simple provided sufficient space is available.

A natural-style arr…

This species is also referred to as ‘South American puffer’, ‘SAP’, ‘Amazonian puffer’, ‘Peruvian puffer’, or ‘Brazilian puffer’ in the ornamental trade.

Within the genus Colomesus, C. asellus can be immediately identified by possessing a unique transverse row of dermal flaps across the chin which is absent in its congeners C. psittacus and C. tocantinensis.