Julii Corydoras Fish (Corydoras Julii) Splashy Fish

Julii corys are cute bottom dwellers that will clean your tank with the sensitive barbels they use to root around for food at night. But any fish attempting to swallow this diminutive catfish will be in for a painful surprise of spikes and armor. This species has the ability to rotate the eye, which gives it the appearance of winking. Hence, fishkeepers often find this fish quite entertaining and endearing.

Indigenous to the lower Amazon region, primarily the Parnaíba River of Brazil, Corydoras julii is found in flooded forest regions as well as in creeks and small tributaries. It is often confused with Corydoras trilineatus, a species that is found in the upper Amazon.

Many owners who think they have taken home the julii cory, Corydoras julii, have accidentally purchased Corydoras trilineatus. Julii corys are smaller and more stout in build, with a shorter head and rounded snout. They also have small, isolated spots, while Corydoras trilineatus has spots that tend to connect into a reticulated pattern; this is particularly noticeable on the head. This species reaches an adult size of a bit over 2 inches.
Like other cory species, the body is silvery gray. A dark zigzag stripe runs along the lateral line from the gills to the tail. Above and below this dark line is a section that is not spotted, beyond which are many small dark spots of varying size. On the body, some of these spots connect to form short lines, but on the head, the spots are distinctly separate, a feature that differentiates this species from similar corys.