PlanetCatfish.com

What are the definitive ways to tell apart a sub-adult high fin peppered cory

Scleromystax macropterus

and a sub-adult long-finned variety of peppered cory

Corydoras paleatus

? I can see that the paleatus tend to be more grey/black whereas the macropterus tend to be more tan/brown, but in the photos on this website there appears to be some grey to tan variation in the paleatus, making it look more like macropterus (e.g., compare these two pics: paleatus and macropterus). Also, I can see in the pictures several clear differences in the adults (not the least of these, sheer size), but I'd like to be able to compare juveniles: A LFS near me is selling "long fin pepper corys" and they are small, about 3/4 - 1 inch long. They're probably paleatus; but when I look at them, they appear to have stiff curving spines for their first pectoral rays, like macropterus (do paleatus have these too?). I would be interested in getting them if they are macropterus, but I think I'd pass them up if they are paleatus. Thanks for any help you can offer.
Eric

I would have thought the snout shapes of the two would easily tell them apart. Doesn't Scleromystax have a longer snout with a flatter dorsal profile?

Silurus wrote:I would have thought the snout shapes of the two would easily tell them apart. Doesn't Scleromystax have a longer snout with a flatter dorsal profile?

Is it as straight forward as that? I'll be back at the LFS tonight, so I'll take a look. Are there any other features of clear distinction in juveniles, or is that it?
Thanks Silurus.
-Eric

I didn't get back to the LFS until last night. Upon closer inspection, yep, the nose says it all, if a nose can talk: It's

Corydoras paleatus

, not

Scleromystax macropterus

(sorry the photo is so bad - Nokia 900 phones have crummy cameras ). Thanks for the input.