Broad stripe cory

About

Found in the blackwater tributaries of the upper Rio Negro basin in South America, Corydoras duplicareus is one of several related cories from that region sharing a distinctive oblique dark bar across the dorsal surface and a vivid orange patch on the nape. That orange blaze is actually one of the better field marks for telling it apart from its near-twin, C. adolfoi, where the same patch tends to be considerably paler and the dark bar narrower. Though even experienced keepers find these two genuinely difficult to separate by eye. Like all members of the armored catfish family Callichthyidae, it carries rows of bony plates instead of scales and sports stiffened pectoral spines that can cause a surprisingly painful puncture wound if you handle it carelessly. One of the more fascinating things about this species is its ability to breathe atmospheric air using a modified, highly vascularized section of intestine. You will regularly see individuals dart to the surface for a quick gulp, which is completely normal behavior. Keep them in groups of at least four to six; they are genuinely gregarious and become more active and visible in larger numbers. With proper care they are remarkably long-lived for a small catfish, and intermediate-level keepers comfortable with soft, slightly acidic water will find them rewarding.