Cory Catfish Identification Guide

Key identification features

• Small size, typically 2.5-7 cm depending on species
• Body armored with two overlapping rows of bony plates rather than scales
• Distinctly arched back profile
• Downturned mouth with short barbels used for sifting substrate
• Paired, sharp locking spines at the front of the pectoral fins
• Highly variable pattern between species, including spots, bands, or a dark "panda" face mask

Common look-alikes

• Otocinclus: much more slender with a ventral sucker mouth and no visible bony plates, unlike the stockier, plated cory.
• Kuhli loach: an elongated, worm-like body without armor plates or an arched back, easily separated from any cory catfish on shape alone.

Where you'll see one

Cory catfish are native to shallow, slow-moving streams, ponds, and seasonally flooded areas across much of South America. They are bottom-dwelling, social fish typically found foraging in small groups over sand or fine substrate, often in soft-water tributaries with leaf litter and submerged vegetation, and are rarely seen swimming far from the bottom or away from their shoalmates.