Order Catfishes ( Siluriformes )
Family Callichthyid Catfishes, or Armored Catfishes ( Callichthyidae )
Subfamily Armored Catfishes ( Corydoradinae )
Continued…
Genus Corydoras – Corydoras.
— Spotfin corydoras — Corydoras punctatus [Bloch, 1794]. (C 012). Guyana, Suriname River basin. 6 cm. The entire pinkish-brown body is covered with numerous small round spots. There is an indistinct dark area on the dorsal fin. Females are larger, males have a higher dorsal fin. Similar in coloration to Corydoras julii, C. leopardus. They should be kept in a group of at least 5-10 individuals (preferably with a male-dominated ratio).
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. Aggressive fish or predators should not be used as tank mates. pH 5.8-7.5; T 21-26°C.
— Pygmy corydoras, Dwarf cory, Black-stripe corydoras — Corydoras pygmaeus [Knaack, 1966]. (Eng. Dwarf Cory, Pygmy Corydoras). Inhabit standing, slow-flowing, silted waters of the Madeira River and its tributaries, Brazil. They reach a size of 3 cm – females and 2.5 cm – males. The body is grayish, ranging from greenish to yellowish-gray with a silvery sheen. The back is gray, significantly darker than the belly, which has a greenish sheen. A black stripe runs from the tip of the snout to the base of the tail, bordered by white stripes above and below it. Another, small one extends from the pelvic to the anal fin, and there is a small black spot at the base of the caudal fin lobe. All fins are transparent grayish tones.
Distinguishing a male from a female among pygmy corydoras is not always easy, since apart from size and belly thickness, there are no clearly defined sexual characteristics in pygmies. The shape and arrangement of dark lines on the body resemble those of C. hastatus australe, which is why these two species are often confused. But C. pygmaeus lives closer to the bottom and rises into the water column only to gulp air from the surface. Nowadays, only C. pygmaeus is found with us, which, nevertheless, is traditionally called hastatus.
A lively, simple, but nicely colored small catfish. Catfish are schooling fish, always trying to stay in a cluster in the aquarium, and if one of the school suddenly rushes off somewhere to travel, the rest of the company joyfully rushes after it. However, they live poorly alone, and even the company of other catfish, their closest relatives, cannot radically improve their mood.
The fish willingly swim in the middle layers of the water. They don’t mind swimming in a large school throughout the water column. They actually swim rather than making short dashes for air, after which, leaving a string of bubbles, they sink back to the bottom to the plants, and can sit on wide, horizontally positioned plant leaves and stones. For this, they are sometimes called “sparrows”. The fish are kept in a group of at least 10 specimens.
Suitable for keeping both in a general community aquarium with small, peaceful fish that are not too restless. Also, the presence of shelters in the aquarium is necessary, for which driftwood, coconut shells, pottery shards, etc., are perfectly suited. Plants are best planted along the perimeter of the tank to leave room for swimming. Lighting is weak and diffused. Water is soft to moderately hard, with a 30% water change weekly.
The fish are undemanding, eating any food, both dry and any live food suitable in size. Food is mostly taken from the bottom, as well as from plant leaves, but they can also rise and gulp it from the surface. When feeding, it should be taken into account that the pygmy corydoras has a small mouth, so the food size should be small.
They mature at 6-8 months, as a rule, males mature earlier than females. If you keep a small school of catfish (12 or more) in a species aquarium densely planted with plants, they will successfully breed on their own under good conditions, without much outside intervention, because pygmies do not eat their eggs and fry.
Females, as a rule, choose well-lit objects for sticking eggs, so you can use glass leaned against a well-lit wall of the aquarium as a substrate, while the rest of the glass is darkened. The coloration of the fry differs from that of sexually mature individuals. They live 3-4 years. dH 3-20°; pH 6.8-7.5; T 25-28°C.
Identification: Pygmy corydoras — Corydoras pygmaeus.
— Rabaut’s cory, Iridescent cory, Rusty cory — Corydoras rabauti [la Monte, 1941]. (Eng. Iridescent Cory, Rabaut’s Cory, Rusty Cory). Synonym: Corydoras myersi. Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Rio Negro, Ucayali, Javari rivers; up to 6 cm. The body is beige-brown, but specimens with orange-brick coloration are found. Orange, red, and brown tones predominate in coloration. A dark oblique stripe about 8 mm wide begins in front of the dorsal fin and reaches the base of the caudal lobe.
Fins are transparent, with a brown tint. Females are fuller, larger, and paler colored than males. In fry, the front part of the body and fins are red, the rear part, up to the tail base, is green. As they grow, they also gradually fade and develop a black longitudinal stripe. Adult fish are outwardly indistinguishable from C. zygatus. However, immature fish have a characteristic green body coloration with orange fins and head, which young C. zygatus lack.
The substrate should be soft and dark, shelters are required (driftwood, pottery shards, pieces of coconut shells). Catfish do not damage plants, so most species are suitable for aquarium decoration, except for plants with finely dissected leaves. They mature at 8-10 months. dH 4-15°; pH 6.8-7.2; water temperature 24-27°C.
— Network cory, Reticulate cory — Corydoras reticulatus [Fraser–Brunner, 1938]. (Eng. Network Cory, Reticulate Cory). Brazil, Peru, Amazon, Rio Branco rivers. 7 cm. Yellowish-brownish tones predominate in coloration, with an almost black pattern across the body. Dorsal fin with a black spot. It is often confused with C. sodalis. The external difference is that it lacks a black spot on the dorsal fin, and the pattern on the body and caudal fin is less contrasting.
Peaceful, active day and night. Shelters are needed. A soft substrate is preferable. A group of fish can be kept in a general aquarium with occasional thickets, stones, and driftwood. It swims without haste and prefers to spend most of its time at the bottom. pH 6.0-7.0; dH 2-12°; T 22-28°C.
Identification: Genus Corydoras — Corydoras punctatus, rabauti, reticulatus.
Corydoras robineae, schwartzi, seussi, sterbai.
Corydoras paleatus, panda, potaroensis. 
