Julii Cory Catfish

An endearing little scavenger

Corydoras Julii

The taxonomic order Siluriformes, or catfishes, encompases more than thirty families representing nearly 2000 species. None of the catfishes have scales, but some have an outer layer of inter- locking bony plates that form a covering which resembles armor. These specimens, not surprisingly, are referred to as armored catfish. The Julii Cory is one of these armored catfish.

All catfishes have relatively poor eyesight, and due to this handicap prefer the twilight and night hours. The catfishes have adapted to their reduced visual capabilities by developing barbels which are equipped with taste sensory cells. It's as if they swim around with their tongues hanging out. The barbels assist them in locating food in low light conditions. They skim along the bottom using the barbels to distinguish food from the general debris on the bottom. The barbels also are used to detect vibrations, and are touch sensory acting as feelers in the dark. Catfish may have from one to six pairs of these barbels, generally attached to the upper lip. Some are very short and scarcely noticeable, while others are nearly the length of the specimen's body.

Catfish species can be found in virtually all parts of the world. The Julii Cory is indigenous to the lower tributaries of the Amazon River in South America. It's natural diet includes insects, worms and small crustaceans in addition to vegetation. It will also eat flakes and dried food if allowed to sink to the bottom. They are a very busy feeder, and are less likely to hide during the day than are other species. Consequently they are a very interesting breed to observe. They are quite peaceful in a community tank, and are solitary by nature. They don't breed easily in captivity, so there is no need to buy Corys in pairs.

Please send any information you may have on Corys to the E-mail address shown below. I hope you have enjoyed your visit to this page. Thanks for stopping by.

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Gary Churchman
garydebc@silcom.com

Copyright © 1997 Gary.Churchman
This page was created Sunday, March 16, 1997
Most recent revision Wednesday, July 2, 1997

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