Peaceful.
320 species in our list are a good match.
Peaceful.
Sinking foods.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Seen from above, females are rounder, broader and often a little larger, especially when full of eggs; mature males have more pointed fin tips.
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Egg-scatterer · Moderate
Egg layer: in the typical cory 'T-position' the female holds one to a few eggs in her pelvic fins and sticks them to glass or plants.
Keep a group of 6 or more with extra males. Females are rounder and larger.
A 10-20 gallon (40-75 L) tank with fine sand, plants and a sponge filter. Add a spawning mop or plants. 22-26 C.
A big cool water change (rain simulation) after a few days of rich food.
One egg at a time (up to 4) per clasp, laid over a spawning session; eggs hatch in 3-5 days.
Feed microworms and baby brine shrimp. Remove eggs to a hatch tray. Good water quality is key.
Most 'julii corys' sold are actually Hoplisoma trilineatum (formerly Corydoras trilineatus), a close look-alike of the rarely traded Hoplisoma julii; the two are very hard to tell apart without knowing where the fish were collected.
Edward Drinker Cope described Corydoras trilineatus in 1872 from Peru. It is very often sold as the 'julii cory', but the true C. julii is a different species from the lower Amazon. Its fine maze-like spots make it a favourite community catfish.
First described by Edward D. Cope in 1872.
16 facts checked with sources
Moved from Corydoras to the resurrected genus Hoplisoma by Dias et al. (2024 phylogenomic study; the species name changes ending to agree with the genus: trilineatus -> trilineatum). Described by Cope, 1872 as Corydoras trilineatus. Commonly sold under the wrong name: most 'julii cory' / 'leopard cory' in shops are H. trilineatum; true Hoplisoma julii (formerly Corydoras julii) is rare in the hobby. Keep 'julii cory' as the trade name but show H. trilineatum as the scientific name.
PlanetCatfish Cat-eLog: Hoplisoma trilineatum · Seriously Fish: Corydoras trilineatus (now Hoplisoma trilineatum)Legacy has no family field. Hoplisoma is a corydoras genus in Callichthyidae, subfamily Corydoradinae (same placement as Hoplisoma panda in FishBase; see species-panda-cory.json).
Seriously Fish: Corydoras trilineatusSeriously Fish 5.5 cm SL; PlanetCatfish 6.1 cm SL (standard length). Legacy 6 cm sits between.
Seriously Fish: Corydoras trilineatus · PlanetCatfish Cat-eLog: Hoplisoma trilineatumMatches Seriously Fish (preferred for husbandry). PlanetCatfish gives a cooler 16-25 °C.
Seriously Fish: Corydoras trilineatus · PlanetCatfish Cat-eLog: Hoplisoma trilineatumBoth sources agree on 5.8-7.2; legacy upper bound of 8 is too alkaline.
Seriously Fish: Corydoras trilineatus · PlanetCatfish Cat-eLog: Hoplisoma trilineatumLegacy has no hardness; sourced value recorded.
Seriously Fish: Corydoras trilineatusSeriously Fish: a 45 x 30 x 30 cm tank (~41 L) is big enough for a small group. 45 x 30 x 30 = 40,500 cm³ ≈ 41 L. Legacy 60 L is more generous; fine as a recommendation.
Seriously Fish: Corydoras trilineatusBottom-feeding catfish that forages in the substrate; Seriously Fish recommends river sand.
Seriously Fish: Corydoras trilineatusNeeds a clean substrate; it can lose its barbels in poor conditions.
Seriously Fish: Corydoras trilineatusLegacy has no range field. PlanetCatfish lists sub-regions including Marañón, Ucayali, Pastaza, Ampiyacu, Solimões, Purus and Macapá; type locality a tributary of the Río Ambyiacu, Peru.
Seriously Fish: Corydoras trilineatusAgrees with legacy, including the 'look from above' tip.
Seriously Fish: Corydoras trilineatus · PlanetCatfish Cat-eLog: Hoplisoma trilineatumLegacy breeding.type says 'egg-scatterer'; corydoras place eggs individually rather than scattering them. PlanetCatfish lists 19 breeding reports, so it is regularly bred in aquaria.
Seriously Fish: Corydoras trilineatusHatch time agrees. No source checked gives a total per spawning, so the legacy 50-150 eggs is unverified and likely high.
Seriously Fish: Corydoras trilineatusLegacy claim is correct; only the genus needs updating to Hoplisoma.
Seriously Fish: Corydoras trilineatus