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I found these in my LFS today, they were labeled as C.Julii however i don't believe this to be true.

ONly went in to get some more peppered corries but they didn't have them, they had these though and they looked so big and healthy i had to have them.

Just added them to my tank, seem to be settling in ok, not too active yet though.

Sorry for te poor image quality, tanks a bit green at the mo lol.

Ps this is the first time i've posted a picture so let me know if it works

Attached Image:

Ok they seem to have settled in really well now, shooting all around the tank on all levels, either all together or in groups of 2/3. Quite like to know what kind of cory it is tho

You have Corydoras trilineatus. As you have found out, this species is often sold as C. julii. True C. julii are extremely rare, so it's simpler to just assume anything labeled as such is really C. trilineatus. It's a pretty common species, well-liked for its patterning.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

The Lambourne book has this to say on the subject:

C. trilineatus has a similar colour pattern to C. julii and C. leopardus. C. trilineatus and C. julii have short snouts while C. leopardus has a longer snout. C. trilineatus is extremely variable in colour pattern: the black blotch on the dorsal fin varies in size and intensity; the caudal fin can have 3-7 irregular vertical bars (5-7 in C. leopardus), the head and body is covered with small irregular spots or blotches, and in some specimens they join up to form black vermiculated lines (in C. julii the head is spotted). In most specimens of C. trilineatus a black, sometimes irregular, horizontal zigzag line is present at the junction of the body scutes, and this line is margined at either side by an unpigmented region. C. trilineatus has a more robust body than C. julii, which has a slender body.

Basically, if your fish has vermiculated markings on the head, it's DEFINITELY trilineatus. Also, if your fish has a chunky body, it's much more likely to be trilineatus than julii. If your fish has a markedly elongated snout, it's the third fish in the group, Corydoras leopardus.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

vermiculated in english please? It's quite hard to get a good look at these fish, they never stay still! So much more interesting that the peppered cories.

I think they do look most similar to the trilineatus however there do seem to be a few subtle differences. The whole thing's really confusing, especially seeing as there are a lot of mislabelled pictures up on the internet.

Well i like these active fish, and i'm geussing there are no giant species of cory's so i should be pretty safe with keeping them.

"Vermiculated" ... means 'shaped like worm casts'. Or, alternatively, like those polystyrene 'worms' used for packaging television sets and other electronic consumer goods.

Corydoras julii ALWAYS has spots on the head. Corydoras trilineatus has 'squiggly' markings that run into each other.

So, if one sits still, and you get a good look at the fontanel (the part of the head that roughly approximates to the forehead in a human being), check the markings. If they're small round spots, and none of them are joined up to each other, then you've two possibilities - a population variant trilineatus (in which case you check the robustness of the body next - trilineatus has a stocky body, while julii is a more slender catfish, even in the mature female) or a genuine julii. If your fish has 'wiggly' markings on the fontanel, it's trilineatus full stop.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Nice find Bonny. I wish to find some of those in Malta. A few months ago i ordered some C.julii & C.metae & i think i will have to order some C.trillineatus aswell.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/corydoras/
Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
http://www.maltaaquarist.com