Order Siluriformes
Family Callichthyidae
Subfamily Corydoradinae
Continued…
Genus Corydoras
— Corydoras eques [Steindachner, 1876]. (Eng. Horsemans Cory). Brazil, Amazon River in the region of Tefe and Kudajas. Females up to 5.5 cm, males smaller. Overall body color is bronze with an orange band around the head crossing the forehead and the base of the pectoral fins. Chin and throat are pearly white. The flanks are covered with a large green-brown patch with a metallic green sheen extending onto the tail.
Depending on the substrate color, it can take on a darker coloration and often with wide bands along the flanks. All fins range from dark grey to orange. Females are larger. Similar to C. aeneus, C. rabauti. Keep in a school of at least 6 individuals, preferably more. pH 6.0-8.0; dH 2-16°; T 24-26°C.
— Corydoras guianensis [Nijssen, 1970]. Suriname and Guiana. 5 cm. In the wild, it lives in streams with sandy substrates where the water flow can be slow or strong. A simple variety with a pale, golden-brown body speckled with tiny grey spots and a dark grey stripe running through the eye. Similar to Corydoras sanchesi. A group of 6 fish can be kept in a community aquarium with patches of plants, rocks, and driftwood. Lifespan up to 7 years. pH 6.0-8.0; T 22-26°C.
— Corydoras habrosus [Weitzman, 1960]. (Eng. Dainty Cory, Rio Salinas Cory, Salt and Pepper Catfish, Venezuelan Pygmy Cory). Colombia, Venezuela, upper Orinoco River. 3 cm. Main body color is pale beige, back and head slightly darker, grey-brown. The lower part of the body is very light, almost white. There are three almost round, dark spots along the middle of the body: the first under the dorsal fin, the second slightly further back between the dorsal and adipose fins, and the third spot on the caudal peduncle.
In some specimens, the first two spots merge to form a horizontal stripe, sometimes, but less frequently, all three spots connect, however, the spot on the caudal peduncle is always larger than the other spots. Small dark dots adorn the back and head of the catfish. The dorsal fin is transparent, except for two dark rows of small spots. The caudal fin has 4-6 vertical stripes consisting of dashes. Pectoral, ventral, and anal fins are transparent. Females are slightly larger than males.
Corydoras habrosus can easily be confused with Corydoras cochui. To distinguish these two species with certainty, one needs to look at the dark lateral spots: C. cochui has four spots of equal size, while C. habrosus has three spots, with the third one (located on the caudal peduncle) generally larger than the other two.
This small species with an attractive pattern is unfortunately not so easy to keep. They should be kept in large groups of at least 10 individuals (with a male bias) in a small species aquarium, combined with small characins and Otocinclus. In large groups, they are very active and lively during the day. They do not get along with large or aggressive fish, including angelfish and barbs. Aquarium with dense vegetation, substrate of sand 2-3 mm in diameter without sharp edges.
Very sensitive to the possible presence of pollutants (NO2, NO3, NH3) and poorly tolerate temperature fluctuations and unstable chemical and physical water values. Particular caution should be exercised when introducing fish and during regular water changes. Water parameters (temperature, pH values) must be adjusted gradually. Soft and slightly acidic water is most suitable. They should be added to biologically mature aquariums.
An omnivorous species; since C. habrosus is often severely underfed, high-calorie food should be included in the diet during the first few days. It is preferable to feed late in the evening, before turning off the lights. They can live at temperatures above 26°C, but prefer temperatures below 25°C. Lifespan 2-3 years. pH 6.2-7.8; dH 2-18°.
Identification: Corydoras habrosus.
— Corydoras haraldschultzi [Knaack, 1962]. (Eng. Mosaic Cory, Schultz’s Cory). Bolivia, Brazil, upper Guaporé. 7-8 cm. The main color of the body and head is silvery-grey with 6-7 bands of dark spots leading from the front of the back to the caudal peduncle. The head has a dark grey reticulated spotted pattern that covers the snout and expands towards the dorsal fin. Pectoral and ventral fins are orange, the remaining fins are transparent with black stripes.
This species was long confused with Sterba’s cory (C. sterbai). However, the two species are quite easy to tell apart: C. haraldschultzi has a black pattern on a silvery-grey head, while C. sterbai has silvery dots on a black forehead. The chest and ventral fins of C. haraldschultzi are orange, while in C. sterbai they are lemon yellow. A leisurely representative of its genus, it swims calmly and likes to rest, leaning on its ventral fins. The aquarium should have hiding places in the form of rocks or driftwood, along with plants. Unfortunately, even after several years in the aquarium, the fish remains very timid and shy. pH 6.0-7.2; dH 2-25°; T 24-26°C.
— Corydoras hastatus [Eigenmann, 1888]. (Eng. Dwarf Corydoras, Tail Spot Pygmy Cory). Brazil, Paraguay, Rio Paraguay, Guaporé rivers. 3 cm. It is the smallest representative of the Corydoras family. Semi-transparent, stocky, slightly elongated body with a high forepart. The fish’s flanks are flattened and covered with 2 rows of bony plates, which provide good protection against predators. The belly line is straight.
Body coloration ranges from soft green to golden-yellow, the back is olive-green. The belly is whitish. A horizontal dark stripe runs from the gill covers to the end of the caudal peduncle, ending in a diamond-shaped spot and bordered above and below by a yellowish rim. Another black stripe runs along the lower edge of the caudal peduncle.
The caudal fin is bilobed. At the base of the caudal fin, there is a large arrowhead-shaped black spot interspersed with two small white spots. The pectoral (with a strong spiny ray) and ventral fins are well developed. The upper edge of the adipose fin is black. All fins are transparent, colored to match the body. Females are larger and significantly fuller than males, with a rounded dorsal fin. In the male, the dorsal fin is pointed at the tip. A “scarf” morph exists with an elongated dorsal fin in both male and female. Currently, only C. pygmaeus is encountered, which, nevertheless, is traditionally called hastatus.
A peaceful and schooling fish. Aggressive fish or predators should not be kept as tank mates. They must be kept in a group of at least 10 individuals (preferably with a male bias). It is very interesting to watch a school of these fish: they constantly “flutter” from one plant to another and spend very little time on the bottom. They do not mind swimming in a large school in the water column. Fish like to rest on various elevations. Plants, along with driftwood and large stones, are their favorite resting spots. These catfish stay in the middle water layers.
Suitable for keeping in small, well-planted aquariums with swimming space in the middle layer. Plant thickets are planted near the side walls of the aquarium. They create not only shady spots but also enough free space for swimming. They lead both a benthic and pelagic lifestyle. Especially interesting when kept in schools with small peaceful fish. They like clean, periodically changed water. They mature at 7-10 months. dH 4-25°; pH 6.7-7.8; T 22-25°C.
Corydoras julii, loxozonus, melanistius, melanotaenia, melini.
Corydoras cochui, delphax, duplicareus, elegans, ellisae. 
