Please help identify rare cats (Cory and Pleco)

[tear-scar]

At the local pet store today, the owner had recently put together a new "display tank," (meaning, no buying from that tank )with a lot of fish species I had never seen!! (though all of recognizable body type).

Anyway, there were some catfish I didn't recognize. Descriptions:

Cory 1:
Over-all light tan-orange color (almost yellow at head), with dramatic dark purple/black spots around head, though body was very purple near tail. Tail and anal fins had spotted pattern set in colums. Dorsal fin almost dramatically orange. About 2.5 inches in length.

Cory 2:

Yellow/Orange color near head, VERY purple from halfway down body to the tail. Fins were VERY orange. A little bigger than the other cory, but also about 2.5 inches.

I also noticed that these species were slightly less energetic than a lot of other cory species, and instead of all schooling together, they schooled only with their own species (which I thought was strange).


Pleco:
Typical pleco body, smoothe (not bristley or bumpy), but it was striped purple and white!? It was about 4 inches in that tank.



Can anyone give species names/profiles? thanks!

 

[Inchworm]

Hi tear-scar

I wish I could help you out by identifying those corys for you, but it's much more easily said than done. What I can do, however is give you some links that have pictures on them so you can compare them with the fish you saw.

This one is for the named cory cats:

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/calli...ra/g_thumbs.htm

And this site has pictures of the corys with C numbers:

http/www.corydoras.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/...bers%201-20.htm

Please let me know which ones they are. They sound like lovely fish.

 

[tear-scar]

Hey!! Thanks for the site Inchworm! Took me awhile (WOW there are a lot of cory species . . .) but I WAS able to find the two cats!

First cat 1:
Corydoras similis
http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/calli...ydora/301_f.php

Second cat 2:
Corydoras gossei
http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/calli...ydora/388_f.php

YEAH!! CORY'S IDENTIFIED!

By the way, both of these are STRIKINGLY handsome species . . . I wish I had some specimens myself . . .

Anyone have anything on a purple/white stripped pleco?

 

[Inchworm]

Hi tear-scar

I'm glad that I was able to help you. I've heard that the C. gosseis are beautiful. Unfortunately, when my lfs had them, I walked in about an hour too late!

Since the most frequently seen corys are rather plain, any people think they all are, when in fact, there are many beautiful and brightly colored ones. Are you familiar with the C. sterbai?

http/www.planetcatfish.com/shanesworld/r...ras_sterbai.htm

While they are not exactly common, they do turn up regularly and your lfs might be able to order them for you. They seem to be slow growers and mature ones are pricey, but I've bought young ones for as little as $5.99 each.

I don't know plecos, but we do have members who post regularly, who do. I'm sure someone will be along to offer suggestions.

 

[tear-scar]

Actually, there are sterbai around, but I think as much as I love cories I think there are already enough small catfish in the tank . . . though, it would be easy to make me change my mind . . . lol

I actually saw albino sterbais recently . . . 16 bucks!?

 

[kevin007]

Actually, there are sterbai around, but I think as much as I love cories I think there are already enough small catfish in the tank . . . though, it would be easy to make me change my mind . . . lol

I actually saw albino sterbais recently . . . 16 bucks!?

albino sterbais ARE VERY rare 16 bucks are ok

my normal sterbais (i'd say that they are rare) cost me $10ea but since i knew the dude there i got 2 for $14 yay! and now i'm gonna get 4 more when i get time to do the cory tank (more like sterbai tank)