Skunk Corydoras

About

The arched corydoras (Corydoras arcuatus) is a small armored catfish from the upper Amazon basin, where it picks through soft substrates in slow-moving or still waters. Its most recognizable feature is a bold black stripe that arcs from the snout, passes through the eye, and sweeps along the upper body to the tail base. Giving the fish its common name and setting it apart from most of its relatives. That said, identification can be tricky: several closely related species look very similar, including C. narcissus, which shares the same range and has been sold under similar trade names. C. narcissus tends to grow larger and has a noticeably elongated snout, while C. urucu has a rounder snout and a stripe that stops behind the eye rather than passing through it. Like all corydoras, this species belongs to the family Callichthyidae. The so-called armored catfishes, whose bodies are covered in overlapping bony plates rather than ordinary scales. Handle them with care, as the stiffened pectoral spines can deliver a genuinely painful puncture, and may carry mild venom from glands at the spine base. One behavior that tends to surprise newer keepers is the regular trips to the surface to gulp air. This is completely normal, as the species can absorb oxygen through a specialized section of intestine. Keep them in groups of at least four to six, and they will be far more active and confident.