It originates in tropical inland waters in South America, and is found in the Madeira River basin in Brazil.

The first scientific description of the pygmy corydoras was published in 1966 by German biologist and physician Joachim Knaack, in Aquarien und Terrarien-Zeitschrift.

[5] It has a second thin black line along the lower part of the side of the body, from behind the ventral fins and continuing into the tail.

[5] After about one month, fry began to show their prominent black lateral line marking similar to their parents.

[9] The female holds 2–4 eggs at a time in a pouch formed by her pelvic fins while they are fertilized by the male, which takes about 30 seconds.

Unlike the larger more common Corydoras, they often swim in shoals around the mid water and lower regions of the tank.

Appropriate foods include microworms or similar nematodes, as well as Artemia nauplii (newly hatched brine shrimp).