Corydoras sterbai
Knaak, 1962
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his Corydoras has been around for many years and is still
very popular, and when it pops up in auctions they can still fetch
a reasonable price. The main talking point about sterbai
is of course the pectoral fins, being the colour of orange, one
of a handful of Cory's with this trait, the ventral fins are also
this colour. In well marked specimens you can get an orange colouration
in the abdomen area.
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Corydoras
sterbai |
Corydoras
haraldshultzi |
Corydoras
sterbai is sometimes confused
with Corydoras haraldshultzi the difference being that
C.sterbai on the left has for simplistic reasons a dark
basic body colour with white spots on the head and snout area,
while C. haraldshultzi on the right has it in reverse,
a light body with dark spots/ reticulations. Another
Corydoras confused with sterbai is C.araguaiensis
but it has no orange colouration to the fins as you can see in
the photo below.
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Corydoras
araguaiensis |
Corydoras
sterbai=albino strain |
To make matters even more complicated there is an albino version
bred in Singapore which first made its appearance in 1998.
You can even see an orange taint in the pectoral and ventral fins
in this variety. Only time will tell if this will become as popular
as the Corydoras aeneus 'albino' with aquarists. I have a
feeling that it won't go down too well with Corydoras enthusiasts!
and of time of writing (May 2002) it is still quite an expensive
purchase.
The common version which we all know and love occurs in the Upper
Rio Guapore which straddles the border between Brazil and Bolivia.
Named In honour of Dr Günther Sterba who in my humble opinion
wrote some of the best books on the hobby in the late 60's and early
70's, and which still hold up well to this day.
Corydoras sterbai is much like any other
species of the genus Corydoras, easy to keep
but will do better in a group as they are sociable animals and do
like their own company. They will also appreciate a bit of water
movement in the aquarium.
Dorsal 1/7; Anal 1/5; Head is short and compact.
Stubby appearance.
Body colour is dark grey with 7 to 8 bands
of spots leading from the front of dorsal down to the caudal peduncle.
White spots to head area from snout to leading ray of dorsal. Pectoral
and ventral fin spines are orange with rest of fins clear with black
banding.
This is akin to most of this genus, very peaceful,
and would be best housed with small to medium tankmates such as
Tetras, Rasboras and Danios or in a
species tank for breeding purposes.
Not too difficult, will breed as per any
Corydoras species giving a good diet and water conditions,
and water changes of a lower temperature to induce spawning. Two
males to one female or one pair. Setup could be a 18"x12"x12"
tank with sand or bare bottom with Java moss, Java fern and a
sponge filter, adding if you like a power filter for extra aeration
and circulation of the water all leading to a hopefully successful
spawning.
Adults will take a variety of foods, good
quality flake food, tablets, frozen bloodworm and the occasional
feeding of whiteworm. Start of the fry, after using up their yolksac,
with microworm, brineshrimp and fry flake.
Corydoras: Cory
= helmeted; doras = leathery
skin,(helmeted Doras) cuirass.
sterbai: In
honour of Dr Günther Sterba.
Top 2 pictures: Helen
Burns
Bottom Picture/left: 
Bottom Picture/right: aquajapan.com
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Brazil
: Upper Rio Guaporé, near Pontes
e Lacerda
