Sterba's corydoras (Corydoras sterbai) is a member of
the South American Corydoras genus of freshwater aquarium catfish and
one of the most popular species of Corydoras due to its
attractive markings.
Sterba's Cory is distinguishable from other Corydoras species
as it has white spots on its head from eyes down to snout. It is
occasionally confused with Corydoras haraldschultzi; the difference is
that the latter has a pattern of black dots on a white background on the head, C.
sterbai has a pattern of white dots on a black background. C. sterbaihas
recently become available in an albino form and a black form.
Like many Corydoras species, Sterba's cory is a shoaling catfish,
and thus should ideally be kept in groups of 5 or more. In the wild it can be
found in Brazil and thus, wild caught fish prefer soft, acidic water.
However, Sterba's cory is a hardy fish and tank bred specimens have
adapted to a wider range of water conditions. However, like almost all fish it
will not tolerate high levels of nitrates.
Unlike some other catfish they are not good algae eaters,
but are good at "cleaning up" leftover food and detritus from the substrate.
Coryodras sterbai are relatively small for catfish,
growing to a maximum size of only 2–2.6 inches (5.1–6.6 cm).
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