Identifying a Corydoras    3/30/18
Hey there guys,
I'm just trying to get a clear determination what type of Corydoras this is in the photos.
Can you identify for me?
Thanks for your help.
Dave
<Hello Dave. This is almost certainly a Corydoras paleatus, albeit somewhat quirky, one might say, in development. Whether this a genetic, diet or some other issue isn't easy to say. There are (tank-bred) long-finned Corydoras paleatus in the trade, and it looks like this has at least a bit of those genes in it. Nonetheless, I'd suggest running this past the nice folks at PlanetCatfish.com, who are very good at identifying oddball catfish. There are some Corydoras paleatus lookalike species out there, and while they're expensive and rarely traded, if you buy rehomed fish from a local pet store, sometimes you get lucky, the retailer had no idea what they were, and you end up with these special fish at a bargain price! Cheers, Neale.>

Re: identifying a Corydoras       3/31/18
Thanks, Neale.
<Welcome.>
I will do that.
<Cool.>
He was sold as a paleatus, but over time those patterns on his front end made me think he was not a pure bred paleatus, and I couldn't find other paleatus photos with such a pattern. It developed after several years.
<Indeed. There are lookalike species, such as Corydoras ehrhardti, but these are rather rare in the trade. They do turn up, of course, but will be sold at a premium price. Yours has, for example, a deformed dorsal fin spine that suggests inbreeding, hence my belief that this is a Corydoras paleatus, albeit one that's more reminiscent of one of the fancy varieties, like the long-finned strain, than the true, wild-type.>
He eats New Life Spectrum Algae Max as he primary food, and Hikari algae wafers and their generic bottom feeder product (orange packaging with cute catfish displayed) occasionally...
<All sounds great. Algae wafers are a superb staple for these and most other small catfish, including Suckermouth catfish and the smaller
Synodontis. Couple these with occasional offerings of other foods and you can't go far wrong! Do try offering snippets from the kitchen though -- white fish fillet, shrimp, clams, cooked peas, even (very occasionally) hard boiled egg yolk. The fish will enjoy the occasional treat like these, and cooked peas especially help to avoid constipation. That said, New Life
and Hikari products are 100% complete, so if your fish are thriving, there's no need to add stuff if you don't want to.>
Specchio is his name. Thanks - he is very special and I love him dearly.
<Glad to hear it! One thing I will mention about Corydoras paleatus is that this is a low-end tropical species, and will be happier kept below 25 C/77 F, so if your other community fish allow it, feel free to dial back the heater setting. 22 C/72 F is ideal, and also happens to be ideal for a lot of other low-end tropicals including Zebra Danios, Platies, Neons, and almost all other Corydoras catfish! Here in England I've kept them outdoors in summer, and guess what, they bred immediately after being brought indoors in the autumn!
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/coryreproart.htm
These are tough, but often misunderstood little catfish. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: identifying a Corydoras    4/4/18
Neale, Thanks for all the valuable shared knowledge and observations on Specchio!
<Most welcome.>
I will assume he is a Paleatus, and yes, he does have that adorable dorsal fin, which is a bit unusual around here, at least. I never see others like him at stores.
<Indeed!>
I've never tried offering while fish fillet, shrimp or clams, but will consider.
<Tiny, tiny bits of any sort of seafood are usually worth a shot with catfish, or indeed most kinds of fish. Remove anything uneaten and ignored after a few minutes.>
He doesn't like peas, I've learned. Any veggie suggestions I'll try, but lettuce, peas or carrots were never successful.
<Oh; well, keep trying! Sometimes a bit of hunger sweetens the deal. Starve the fish for a few days, then squish a cooked pea in the tank so the soft centre falls apart. It's a high fibre food, and good for minimising the risk of bloating and constipation.>
I never make eggs, as in Hawaii they are pricey, but again, good to know.
There's no heater on his tank; he lives in room temp in an air conditioned apartment, about 74...
<Sounds ideal.>
Funny you keep them outside. I get health advise on caring for fish from a freshwater aquatic disease specialist at the Waikiki Aquarium here in Honolulu where I live, and he raises Synodontis Petricola in an outdoor pond here.
<I would imagine! Since you're practically the tropics, I'd assume many tropical fish would thrive outdoors, assuming there's no risk of them escaping, of course. In England, keeping tropicals outdoors is very much a
season thing, as you can imagine! But it does work well for the hardier species. They get lots of natural foods to eat, algae and bugs and such, and that does encourage breeding and good colouration.>
Thanks for the advice and details. Really appreciate it.
Aloha, Dave
<Aloha indeed, Neale.>