False Corydoras

About

Found in the upper Araguaia River basin of Brazil, Aspidoras pauciradiatus is a miniature armored catfish that most hobbyists initially mistake for a juvenile cory. It's sometimes called the false corydoras or sixray corydoras. That second nickname pointing to the most reliable way to tell it apart from true Corydoras: it carries only six soft rays in the dorsal fin rather than the usual seven seen in related species. Internally, Aspidoras also differ from Corydoras by having two cranial fontanels instead of one, though you'd need a specialist to spot that. In the aquarium it behaves exactly as you'd expect from a small schooling catfish. Peaceful, active along the substrate, poking around for anything edible. Like corys, it can gulp air at the surface, which is a normal facultative behavior rather than a sign of poor water quality. Keep a group of at least six; fewer than that and these fish tend to stay hidden. Breeding follows the familiar cory approach, with cool water changes often triggering a spawning response. Given their small adult size, they do well in modestly sized tanks, but water quality and tankmate selection matter. This is an intermediate-level species that rewards a keeper who pays attention.