Corydoras CW104 hopping locomotion behavior and baby video

[bekateen]

Hi All,

Here's a short video showing my group of five adult

CW104

and their fry.

CW104 has a really peculiar style of locomotion: They hop over short distances using only their pelvic fins. As far as I can see, it works like this: When resting on the sand, they sit poised on their pelvic fins, with the pelvics spread slightly to the sides and somewhat flattened. To hop, they quickly pull their pelvics together, which simultaneously extends the fins downward. This thrusts their body upward and forward. For longer jumps, they use their pectoral and caudal fins to provide additional forward movement. But for short hops, they seem to rely almost entirely on the momentum from the pelvic fins.

Cheers,
Eric

Direct link to YouTube video: Corydoras sp. CW104 hopping locomotion, spawning & baby pics