Corydoras sterbai • Callichthyidae • Cat-eLog • PlanetCatfish

Corydoras

Adult male

Pair spawning

Ten week old juveniles

Albino

Artwork by Ian Fuller - buy here

Albino and normal forms

Three week old fry

Cat-eLog Data Sheet

Scientific Name

Corydoras sterbai Knaack, 1962 - add this species to your "My Cats" page.

Common Name(s)

Sterba's Cory

Type Locality

Rio Guaporé, Brazil.

Pronunciation

Kory DOOR ass - ster bye

Etymology

Cory = helmet, doras = skin. In this case it was incorrectly used to mean armour (cuirasse) instead of skin in allusion to the dual rows of plates that run along the flanks of this genus. Specifically named in honour of Dr. Günther Sterba.

Species Information

Size

65mm (2.6") SL

Show near, nearer or same sized spp.

Identification

Corydoras are identified by their twin rows of armour plates along the flanks and by having fewer than 10 dorsal fin rays. They are most commonly confused with the other genera in the sub-family, namely Brochis, Scleromystax and Aspidoras. It is hard to misidentify this species but it can be confused with Corydoras haraldschultzi, although the latter is a long nosed species where C. sterbai is the dome headed form - the easiest way to tell them apart is that the Sterba's Cory has white spots on its head from eyes down to snout. C. haraldschultzi does not. Corydoras sterbai has recently become available in albino form.

Sexing

Males are smaller and slimmer. Females grow larger and are much wider; most easily observed from above.

Habitat Information

Distribution

Rio Guapore, Mato Grosso, Brazil
Amazon, Middle Amazon (Solimoes), Madeira, Mamoré, Guaporé (click on these areas to find other species found there)

6.0 - 7.6

Temperature

24.0-28.0°C or 75.2-82.4°F (Show others)

Other Parameters

One species of Corydoras that does not seem to mind higher temperatures.

Husbandry Information

Feeding

Readily accepts a wide variety of frozen and prepared foods in the aquarium.

Furniture

Shade provided by overhanging rock work, arching bogwood, tall or floating plants are all that is required. Ideally substrate should be sand, but rounded gravel will suffice.

Compatibility

Peaceful. Tank raised fish are ideal first catfish for a beginner's community aquarium. Wild caught fish will tend to be more expensive and somewhat less hardy.

Suggested Tankmates

Keep in a shoal of at least 6 individuals ideally with similarly sized tetras and dwarf cichlids. A good species for the discus aquarium.

Breeding

See Shane's World article (link below)

Further Information

References

Senckenb. Biol.v. 43 (no. 2) - pp131 - Pl. 12 (figs. 2a-c)

"My Cats"
Registered Keepers

(1) discuscat, (2) MatsP, who also notes, "Got six to begin with, but one was "missing" last time I moved the big tank. Another two had "accidents" with a power-head that they got stuck on. They have, however, bred, so I have at least one unknown in the tank.", (3) Marc van Arc, who also notes, "Incredibly shy species", (4) synoguy, (5) Iwona, (6) mummymonkey, (7) Dick F., (8) daniel60, (9) CatBrat, (10) madattiver, (11) Keithj, (12) Tulio, (13) Barbie, (14) chris 1, (15) Trident2004, (16) Lornek8, (17) hellocatfish, (18) ivokilli, (19) Oliver D., (20) racer36, (21) call_apple, (22) corybreed, (23) amergim, (24) bikerman6660, (25) Coryologist, (26) gage, (27) saphphx, (28) LookVideos, (29) kim m, (30) Heather2128, (31) Coryman, (32) NEONCORY, who also notes, " Obtained 5 young Albino Form on 7/10/07", (33) GreenSynoMan, (34) chrismarkham1982, (35) hatecrew24/7, who also notes, " got 4 of these, gonna buy some more", (36) FuglyDragon, who also notes, "Several Spawns", (37) foffo, (38) nettaigyo, (39) Daragh, (40) apistomaster, who also notes, "Regularly bred for commercial purposes. ~1000 pieces 2006-2007.", (41) Teelie, who also notes, "Have them in a 29g right now with 6 Long-fin Blue Danios, Betta and Apple snails but plan to move them to a 40g breeder with a pair of Albino Bristlenoses by the end of the week. Also intend to get another 4-6 to enlarge the group.", (42) Richie Hell, (43) certan, (44) martijn, (45) AmLi, (46) vernonlarge, (47) loafingloach, who also notes, "my first purposely bred cory. eggs are small but still durable enough to remove by "rolling method". just give a few hours between laying and hardening. or better yet, just remove parents. almost as boisterous as C.aeneus", (48) cwm, (49) woofess, (50) Kampi, who also notes, "Quarantined for 1 week, and then added to community tank. It took about four days for them to settle down in a CO2 enriched aquarium. One individual swims up and down along the glass of the 30 inch tall aquarium constantly except to eat.", (51) Birger Amundsen, (52) amygoodness, (53) humle, (54) AngJo, (55) einstein-a-go-go, (56) greigzee, who also notes, "03/11/07, noticed for first time they were spawning.", (57) Bengt F, (58) yogi69, (59) franc, (60) dixon1990, (61) fulvioander, (62) rimbaudsarm, (63) Carp37, (64) bslindgren, who also notes, "This is my favourite cory. It has a certain dignity over it. They seem very hardy - of the 6 small ones I got (probably less than an inch) to join my big ones two have died, unfortunately. They are quite commonly browsing on plants fairly high in the", (65) Luka, (66) Lydia, (67) caverman, (68) rob1066, (69) Selveste_Preben, (70) jollysue, (71) Cory Lover 1, (72) Mazer, (73) invaderwithkey, (74) Snowy, (75) Walter, (76) irshprncsk, (77) hoplo, (78) Plecofanatic1989, (79) defibf, (80) reneb, (81) goodmike, (82) Dolphin Dip, (83) corydoras, (84) Ironhead, (85) glenny, (86) gem400, (87) Firestorming, (88) iramjohn, (89) Haavard Stoere, (90) teddyman5, (91) alexmuchtar, (92) Suckermouth, (93) Rootbear, who also notes, "We have had several spawns, some eggs removed and hatched out but fry do not last more than a week. Some success in the tank with 3 visible fry.", (94) nooneknows, (95) Koen, (96) cymrucat, who also notes, "had 3 but they love swinning into the filter jet outlet and when I removed the lid to plant a plant one must have pool jumped, V sad but a thing I've discovered all corys do naturally", (97) kwakermad, (98) Gump, (99) darkwolf29a, (100) juliemeikle, (101) kenneth knutsen, (102) Gry, (103) Troender, (104) myrheksa, (105) misscoolkitty, (106) Liz H, (107) weisel, (108) Olivier, (109) heavenesque, (110) ayshea, (111) polardbear, (112) SalmonAfrica, (113) theonetruepath, (114) Dinyar, (115) stephaneg, (116) rtw, (117) jar, (118) sulfur, (119) sulfur, (120) daryn39, (121) MatsP, who also notes, "Several babies from three spawns.", (122) Brie, (123) LowCat, (124) kellygirl, (125) pureplecs, (126) observant person, (127) observant person, (128) kamas88, who also notes, "Breeding several times", (129) kabaltah, (130) Kampfer, (131) koter73, (132) HelloStranger, (133) fjack88, (134) chalkvandam, (135) HeadHunter, (136) Boromark, (137) apisto-nut, (138) krzys, (139) jac, (140) Kingmickyb, who also notes, "Got 4 of them, and 4 other corys (unsure of species) which all seem to be happy together.", (141) Kets, (142) tophat665, (143) Aquariumfun, (144) eriken, (145) eriken, (146) Phoxinus, (147) johanx, (148) xander, (149) a2fishguy, (150) bevans, who also notes, "I've not successfully sexed them yet. Have them in a 10 gallon at present with a pair of fancy guppies.", (151) sonovue, (152) chochiss, (153) fishmosy, (154) GW_NL, (155) RickE, (156) thejudgement, (157) AlaskanCorydoras, who also notes, "Cute little spotted cories. ", (158) smithrc, (159) Nitro Cory, (160) Tom B, (161) Lloydy, (162) MatsP, who also notes, "Babies bred from eggs captured in my RIO400 tank. ", (163) jha61, (164) pcreader, (165) Azarak, (166) boogie, (167) Fishguy2727, (168) MatsP, who also notes, "A few babies that have survived in the tank. ", (169) mgamer20o0, (170) JustKia, who also notes, "Albino", (171) nomuken, (172) coheedandcambriarules, (173) jimoo, (174) Sponge Bob, (175) tcmfish, (176) suprabiatch, (177) Cory_lover, (178) kim m, who also notes, "Wild.", (179) drd, (180) TheSmurfinator, (181) Greg Curtis, (182) robert521, (183) kwjkwj, (184) vince0, (185) jørn henning flåten, (186) ouscazz, (187) topline, (188) cichlideakvarie.dk, (189) iljasas, (190) rich815, (191) naturalart, (192) 05 LL Stang, (193) 05 LL Stang, (194) elle_1313, (195) KnaveTO, (196) ayrtoninst, (197) Ozcattie, (198) rodpam, (199) SHEAG35, (200) 2wheelsx2, (201) d3n2, (202) JamieH, (203) puresp, (204) peterl, (205) vanillarum, (206) dandyfang, (207) Zzyzx85, (208) Luis.Ventura, (209) PeterUK, (210) groeneen, (211) arthos, (212) Barracuda518, (213) nerdworks, (214) keen-eyed, (215) eggy080, (216) markhinch, (217) leej24, (218) cory777, (219) Heather2128, (220) Heather2128, (221) Hitch, (222) Bartman, (223) Rainyfly, (224) Rainyfly, (225) sterba, (226) fleshgear, (227) matti2uude, (228) MatsP, who also notes, "About a year or so old... Found more than I thought when I moved tanks around... ", (229) MatsP, who also notes, "Fry... ", (230) J Bluto, (231) bunthid tumnontigoon, (232) terryd, (233) Hikarixz, (234) xander, (235) ranmasan, who also notes, "bought at 0.75"", (236) rhibear.
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