Lacrimostigmata Cory

About

Found in the Rio Ivaí and upper Rio Paraná basins of Brazil, this obscure little corydoras, Corydoras lacrimostigmata, is one of the more intriguing members of a very large genus. It stays small even by cory standards, and its most distinctive field mark is a row of four to six small, rounded black blotches running along the center of each flank. The snout is slightly pointed and the body relatively slender compared to close relatives like C. flaveolous. What makes this species particularly interesting is a suspected mimicry relationship with a small characid, Characidium heirmostigmata, which shares a nearly identical color pattern and has been observed forming mixed groups with this cory in the wild. A genuinely unusual behavior for the genus. Like all callichthyid catfish, it wears bony plates instead of scales and carries stiffened pectoral-fin spines that can pierce skin painfully, so use a net rather than bare hands when moving fish around. It can also gulp atmospheric air at the surface using a specially adapted section of intestine, so don't be alarmed when you see it dash up for a breath. Keep them in groups of at least six, pair them with peaceful tankmates, and they'll settle in readily. A solid choice for anyone new to keeping corydoras.