Julii Cory

About

The julii cory (Corydoras julii) is a small armored catfish from the lower Amazon and the coastal drainages of northeastern Brazil, where it picks through sandy substrates in search of worms, crustaceans, insects, and plant debris. It's covered in a pattern of small, distinct spots on a pale body. A look shared closely with its congener C. trilineatus, and the two are so frequently mixed up in the trade that many fish sold as julii corys are actually the other species. The main tell is the head pattern: true julii sport discrete separate spots, while trilineatus tends toward connected, worm-like markings, though even that line blurs sometimes. Like all Corydoras, julii belongs to the family Callichthyidae. The so-called armored catfishes, whose bony body plates replace the scales of more typical fish. They can gulp atmospheric air at the surface, which is perfectly normal behavior and an adaptation to low-oxygen conditions in the wild. One quirk that always surprises new keepers is their ability to swivel their eyes downward to scan the substrate below them. Keep them in a group of at least five or six. They're far more active and confident in numbers. Their pectoral spines can pierce skin and may carry a mild irritant, so handle with care when moving them between tanks.