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Seen from above, females are larger, rounder and broader, 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 · Hard
Egg layer and one of the easiest corydoras to spawn; a cooler water change triggers spawning, ideally with about two males per female. Fry are delicate to raise.
Keep a group of 6-8 with a higher number of males. They prefer warm water.
A 20 gallon (75 L) tank with fine sand, plants and a sponge filter. Keep it at 24-28 C.
A cool water change after warm conditioning and good live foods.
The female lays one egg at a time (up to 4) in a clasp, over a spawning session; eggs hatch in 3-5 days.
Feed microworms and baby brine shrimp. Remove eggs to a hatch tray. Keep water very clean.
Named after the German zoologist Günther Sterba and described by Knaack in 1962. A dark, white-spotted cory with orange pectoral fins that, unusually for a corydoras, does not mind warmer water (up to about 28 °C).
German author Joachim Knaack described this corydoras in 1962 and named it after Günther Sterba. Its white-spotted dark body and orange pectoral fin spines make it one of the prettiest corydoras. It tolerates warmer water than many relatives.
First described by Joachim Knaack in 1962. Named for Named after German aquarium author and scientist Günther Sterba.
16 facts checked with sources
Moved from Corydoras to the resurrected genus Hoplisoma by Dias et al. (2024 phylogenomic study of Corydoradinae; Zool. J. Linn. Soc., issue 2025). Described by Knaack, 1962 as Corydoras sterbai; keep that as an other name. Look-alikes: Brochis haraldschultzi has the reverse pattern (light body, dark spots) and a longer snout; Hoplisoma araguaiaense lacks the orange fins (ScotCat).
Seriously Fish: Corydoras sterbai (now Hoplisoma sterbai) · PlanetCatfish Cat-eLog: Hoplisoma sterbai · Wikipedia: Sterba's corydoras (cites Catalog of Fishes)Legacy has no family field. ScotCat lists it under Callichthyidae, subfamily Corydoradinae (Lineage 9).
ScotCat: Hoplisoma sterbai factsheetSeriously Fish 6.5 cm SL, PlanetCatfish 6.8 cm SL (standard length). Legacy 7 cm is a fair rounding; females are larger than males.
Seriously Fish: Corydoras sterbai · PlanetCatfish Cat-eLog: Hoplisoma sterbai · ScotCat: Hoplisoma sterbai factsheetBoth sources top out at 28 °C; legacy upper bound 29 is slightly too warm.
Seriously Fish: Corydoras sterbai · PlanetCatfish Cat-eLog: Hoplisoma sterbaiLegacy 6.0-7.5 matches (7.6 vs 7.5 is rounding).
Seriously Fish: Corydoras sterbai · PlanetCatfish Cat-eLog: Hoplisoma sterbaiLegacy has no hardness; sourced value recorded.
Seriously Fish: Corydoras sterbaiSeriously Fish gives a 45 x 30 cm base (~41 L): 45 x 30 x 30 cm = 40,500 cm³ ≈ 41 L. The legacy 80 L is more generous; fine as a recommendation, but the sourced minimum is ~41 L.
Seriously Fish: Corydoras sterbaiA substrate-digging catfish; PlanetCatfish says the substrate should ideally be sand.
PlanetCatfish Cat-eLog: Hoplisoma sterbaiSeriously Fish calls it a good choice for beginners (in the breeding context) but stresses it is sensitive to poor water.
Seriously Fish: Corydoras sterbaiLegacy has no range field. PlanetCatfish lists a wider spread (Amazon, Solimões, Madeira, Mamoré, Guaporé). Type locality Rio Guaporé, Brazil. Legacy biz notes list 'Wild-caught: Brazil'; Seriously Fish says almost all trade fish are farmed.
Wikipedia: Sterba's corydoras · ScotCat: Hoplisoma sterbai factsheet · Seriously Fish: Corydoras sterbaiAgrees with legacy, including the 'look from above' tip.
Seriously Fish: Corydoras sterbai · PlanetCatfish Cat-eLog: Hoplisoma sterbaiScotCat recommends a lower-temperature water change and two males to one female. Wikipedia says raising the fry is not easy because of their sensitivity. Legacy breeding.diff (3) overstates spawning difficulty.
Seriously Fish: Corydoras sterbai · Wikipedia: Sterba's corydorasHatch time agrees. No source checked gives a total per spawning, so the legacy 50-100 eggs is unverified and likely high (compare panda cory: up to ~25).
Seriously Fish: Corydoras sterbaiWarm-water tolerance and orange fins are supported (ScotCat notes H. araguaiaense lacks the orange fin colouring). No source checked says it outright as a discus companion; at 24-28 °C it overlaps only the cooler end of discus temperatures, so phrase the discus link carefully.
Wikipedia: Sterba's corydoras (cites ETYFish Project) · PlanetCatfish Cat-eLog: Hoplisoma sterbai · ScotCat: Hoplisoma sterbai factsheet