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Allan James (1) Rob McLure (1) Hans-Georg Evers (1) Joakim Schön (1) Hudson Crizanto Gonçalves (2)

The Aspidoras genera differ from Corydoras by their different behaviour such as their swimming habits. The eyes are smaller, body smaller and a smaller head shape in Aspidoras compared with Corydoras. Aspidoras posses a duel fontanel bone structure in the skull whereas Corydoras have only the one larger fontanel. Lineage: All Aspidoras belong to Lineage 2 with the exception of A. pauciradiatus which will prove to be a Corydoras and if a revision is carried out will be Gastrodermus (Cope, 1878) and a member of Lineage 5 alongside members of the "elegans group". Aquarium Care: Aspidoras raimundi is fairly uncommon in the hobby but as with all of this genus they are best kept in groups of six or more and are best housed with small fishes that are not aggressive. Provide a planted area in the tank for cover and include a soft substrate such as sand or small rounded gravel. Diet: Flake, tablet foods, small live and frozen foods. Etymology: The specific name raimundi: patronym not identified, perhaps, as suggested by Nijssen & Isbrücker (1976), a Brazilian associate of Steindachner; another possibility: Raimund Banowsky (d. 1885), a contemporary of Steindachner at the Zoological and Botanical Society of Vienna. Remarks: In the not too distant future this species will encompass A. menezesi and A. spilotus as synonyms as they are seemingly all the same species. C125 and C119 are also the same species. Many species of Aspidoras are difficult to tell apart unless there is area catchment information available.

Raimundi's Aspidoras, C125, CW119

Corydoras raimundi, Aspidoras menezesi, Aspidoras spilotus

Callichthyidae

South America: Brazil, Maranhão, at mouth of brook emptying into Rio Parnaíba at Alto Parnaíba (formerly Victoria), 09°08’S,  45°56’W.

Male: 3.5cm (1½ins) Female: 4.0cm (1¾ins)

20-23°C (67-73°F)

6.0-7.0.

Alexandrou, Markos & Taylor, Martin. (2011). Evolution, ecology and taxonomy of the Corydoradinae revisited.
Baensch, H.A. and R. Riehl 1985 Aquarien atlas. Band 2. Mergus, Verlag für Natur- und Heimtierkunde GmbH, Melle, Germany. 1216 p.
Ian A. M. Fuller & Hans-Georg Evers (2011). Identifying Corydoradinae Catfish Supplement 1. Ian Fuller Enterprises.
ScotCat Article: The Genus Aspidoras.
The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database © Christopher Scharpf.