Sterba's corydoras

Sterba's corydoras (Hoplisoma sterbai) is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the subfamily Corydoradinae, the corys, of the family Callichthyidae, the armoured catfishes. This catfish is found in the Guaporé River region between Bolivia and Brazil.

Sterba's corydoras is distinguishable from related species as it has white spots on a black background on its head. 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 recently become available in an albino form and a black form.

Like many cory species, Sterba's corydoras 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 corydoras 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.

Hoplistoma sterbai are relatively small for catfish, growing to a maximum size of only 2–2.6 inches (5.1–6.6 cm).