Corydoras are members of the armoured catfish family. The genus name means "helmet skin" and the fish live up to this name as they are rather tough little fish. They also have spines in the leading rays of the pectoral fins to deter larger predators from eating them. Corydoras are sometimes observed taking a gulp of air at the water surface: this is because they can absorb oxygen through their gut. It is not known why cories do this even on oxygen rich waters.

Along with the bronze …

This species is infrequently offered for sale but makes an attractive addition to the medium sized community aquarium.

An attractively patterned, infrequently imported Syno that deserves more popularity in the hobby. It is occasionally confused with S. schoutedeni, which it superficially resembles.

In our opinion, this is one of the most attractively marked Synos commonly available in the hobby. The colour and patterning can vary considerably and the vermiculated pattern seems to intensify with age in well kept fish. When taken into consideration with its moderate adult size, this is an ideal beginners's Syno. One point worth noting is that this species seems very susceptible to bloating. While the cause of this is unknown, we suggest that feeding of dried foods be kept to a minimum.
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This is one of the species of Synodontis seen less frequently in the trade and it ranks alongside S. schall as one of the more aggressive members of the genus. It is very hardy however and makes a good tankmate for large aggressive cichlid species.

One unique characteristic of S. acanthomias is that the humeral process (the bony extension just above the pectoral fins) is long and tapered with a curved end….

S. schall is regarded as the 'bad boy' of the genus in aquarium circles. It is randomly aggressive and not particularly attractive. It is often confused with other similar species of Synodontis such as S. budgetti or S. clarias but can be distinguished by the length of thewhich, in this species, is very long and runs from just past the base of the to just before the caudal fin.

It is an important food fish in some of its native countries….

S. robbianus is often confused with the similar but larger S. nigrita. They can be distinguished by the brownish base colour of this species as opposed to the greyer patterning exhibited by S. nigrita. It is also similar to several other Syno species, especially when juvenile.

A hardy, adaptable species ideal for the newcomer to Synodontis but not often seen for sale….

S. pleurops is a very nocturnal species and unless the light in the aquarium is dim will rarely be seen. It is also very distinctive and is hard to confuse with other species. It has very large eyes and a downturned mouth, denoting its algae grazing habits. It will rarely venture into open water in the aquarium, preferring to hug the surface of pieces of driftwood, rocks and broad plant leaves. The colouration and patterning can vary considerably depending on type locality….

S. ocellifer is often confused with other similar species of Synodontis but can be distinguished by the length of thewhich in this species is very long and runs from just past the base of the to just before the caudal fin.

In recent years many alarming hybrids of this species have been appearing on the market and these should be avoided in our opinion. Besides being attractively marked this is one of the hardiest Synos available and is a good choice for the beginner….

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua…