Imitator catfish
| Imitator catfish | ||||||||||||
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Imitator armored catfish ( Corydoras imitator ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Corydoras imitator | ||||||||||||
| Nijssen & Isbrücker , 1983 |
The Imitator cory ( Corydoras imitator ) is in Brazil , more precisely in the tributaries of the upper Rio Negro in São Gabriel beheimateter de Cachoeira catfish .
features
With the drawing of this catfish mimics that of the Painted armored catfish ( Corydoras adolfoi ), hence the name imitator ( lat. Imitators imitating ). In a striking contrast to the light (beige) basic color, there is a black stripe that begins just before the dorsal fin and extends over the entire upper edge of the back to the base of the caudal fin . A broad, black stripe runs across the forehead and eyes to the gill cover . The shoulder patch between this and the back stripe is not orange to red, as in the painted armored catfish, but rather yellow to orange. The most obvious difference, however, is the clearly elongated snout that tapers to the front. With up to seven centimeters, the species is slightly larger than the painted armored catfish.
behavior
The first authors found two specimens in the type material of the painted armored catfish that differed in the characteristics mentioned and described them as Corydoras imitator . Here, as with other armored catfish, there is evidence of the syntopic occurrence of a mostly very common short-nosed species and a mostly much rarer, identically drawn long-nosed species. The advantage for the long-nosed cat is the protection against predators , which they swim along in the swarm the short snout is granted. Like most armored catfish, these mixed swarms live on the ground, where they rummage through them for animal and vegetable food.
In the very hectic pairing are only one or two eggs in the pelvic fins bag placed the female, which are then attached to various substrates. A total of only 10 to 15 eggs are released per spawning .
Aquarium keeping
The imitator armored catfish is quite suitable for keeping in aquariums , provided it has enough hiding places. In addition, he should be given both vegetable and animal feed, such as live or frozen water fleas , brine shrimp or mosquito larvae . As an intestinal respirator , the imitator armored catfish needs free access to the water surface.
source
- Hans-Georg Evers : Armored catfish. Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-8001-7286-0 .