Beginner aquarists often choose spotted catfish because they are easy to care for. However, other species of Corydoras are often overlooked—some require more careful care, while others are difficult to find commercially.
The most popular and resilient catfish is the speckled catfish. It's also known as the straw-colored catfish.
The bronze catfish can be found under the name of the variable or golden cory.
Although only one form of this species has a truly golden color.
The bronze cory also comes in a neon green color variant.
Rabo, or rabauti, has a wide dark stripe running close to the dorsal fin.
It is often confused with the Zigatus species. However, the latter is larger, growing up to 7 cm, while the Rabauti species reaches a maximum size of 5.5 cm.
Corydoras concolor, also known as the cory, is gray in color. Its fins have a bronze tint.
It has an elegant light grey colour with a pattern of dark lines and specks.
The bright orange spot on the head is the distinctive feature of the Adolf's Corydoras.
The bandit species looks somewhat similar to him. He's also called Meta.
At first glance, the bandit is easily confused with the panda corydoras. However, the latter has a spot at the base of its tail instead of a black line running up to it.
Corydoras julii (Julia) and trilineatus are also often confused. However, they are easy to distinguish—the former's spots never merge into lines, as in the latter.
The Sterba catfish's base color can range from gray-brown to almost black. Its main characteristic is a pattern of small light spots.
Another spotted catfish is the punctate, or multi-spotted catfish. However, its spots are sparse and dark on a light body.
Corydoras melini (diagonally striped) usually has a contrasting coloration of a light body with black stripes on it, although darker fish can also be found.
The Venezuelan Corydoras has orange and black forms.
Corydoras barbatus differs from other species by its more elongated head.
The pygmy catfish species is much smaller than other catfish, reaching no more than 3 cm in size.
The Corydoras sparrow, or pygmy sparrow, is also small. It resembles the pygmy sparrow in coloring, but lacks the dark stripe on its side.
These aren't all the species of Corydoras, as selective breeding is ongoing, and aquarists are developing new color variations. However, knowing the main catfish varieties will make navigating the world of aquarium inhabitants easier.
