Description
The Skunk Cory Cat adds a splash of drama to any home aquarium. Also known as Sands' Cory Cat, Corydoras arcuatus is active, yet peaceful, especially when kept in small schools. Though other members of the Corydoras genus boast black stripes over the eyes and down the back, the back stripe of this Skunk Cory Cat splits just before the tail and trails down to color the lower edge of the caudal fin. In most species, this black stripe does not split and instead continues along the caudal fin's upper edge.
Just as active as other Corydoras, the Skunk Cory Cat thrives in peaceful community aquariums with like sized fish. Primarily bottom dwellers, Corydoras are adept at cleaning excess food from aquarium substrate. Their most playful antics come, however, when an entire group speeds to the water's surface to feed on flake or other foods. For optimal health, feed these omnivores a varied diet of flakes, tablets, shrimp pellets, tubifex, or other frozen foods.
Native to the Rio Unini, a whitewater area of the Rio Negro River in Brazil, the Skunk or Sands' Cory appreciates water currents more so than other members of the Corydoras genus. In the home aquarium they do best in sandy substrates surrounded by areas of moss, ferns, and other plants.