The Banded Corydoras—the largest of the corydoras—is a slender-looking species often found in flowing waters in its natural habitat. It is a very distinctly marked corydoras that, despite its relatively restricted geographical distribution, occurs in at least two forms, the one from around Rio being darker and containing more yellow in the body pattern.
Other common names
- Filigree Cory, Barbatus Catfish
Family
- Callichthyidae
Subfamily
- Corydoradinae
Distribution
- Regions around Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Size
- Up to 5in (13cm), but usually considerably smaller.
Behavior
- Peaceful shoaler; looks impressive in a group.
Diet
- Wide range of foods accepted, particularly bottom-dwelling livefoods and sinking commercial formulations.
Aquarium
- Well planted, with open swimming areas, and fine-grained substratum. Water chemistry not critical, but excessively acid conditions must be avoided. Temperature range: 68-77 F (20-25 C). Water chemistry should be slightly on the acid side.
Breeding
- Challenging. Female swallows male’s sperm and releases them from her gut onto her cupped pelvic fins, into which she has already released a few eggs. She deposits the eggs on a surface, where they will hatch 5-6 days later, depending on temperature
