Corydoras

Corydoras
Temporal range: 58.5–0 Ma Late Paleocene–Present
Corydoras melanotaenia
Corydoras sterbai
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Callichthyidae
Tribe: Corydoradini
Hoedeman, 1952
Genus: Corydoras
Lacépède, 1803
Type species
Corydoras geoffroy
Lacépède, 1803
Synonyms
  • Brochis Cope, 1871
  • Chaenothorax Cope, 1878
  • Cordorinus Rafinesque, 1815
  • Gastrodermus Cope, 1878
  • Hoplisoma Swainson, 1838
  • Microcorydoras Myers, 1953
  • Osteogaster Cope, 1894

Corydoras is a genus of freshwater catfish in the family Callichthyidae and subfamily Corydoradinae. The species usually have more restricted areas of endemism than other callichthyids, but the area of distribution of the entire genus almost equals the area of distribution of the family, except for Panama where Corydoras is not present.[1] Corydoras species are distributed in South America where they can be found from the east of the Andes to the Atlantic coast, from Trinidad to the Río de la Plata drainage in northern California River.

Species assigned to Corydoras display a broad diversity of body shapes and coloration.[2] Corydoras are small fish, ranging from 2.5 to 12 cm (1.0 to 4.7 in) in SL.,[3] and are protected from predators by their body armor and by their sharp, typically venomous spines.[4]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Reis1996 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Britto2002 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Axenrot2003 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Wright2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).