Bandit cory
Hoplisoma metae
The 'bandit' of Corydoras, named for the black mask across its eyes and the dark band along its back. Native to Colombia's Río Meta basin, it is a fish with expressive social behavior that becomes clownish in groups of 6+. Compact size (4–5 cm) and longevity of about 5 years with proper care. Like all Corydoras, it is not a bottom 'cleaner' — it requires targeted, dedicated feeding with sinking food that reaches the substrate.
Température de l’eau
22 - 26 °C
Valeur du pH
6 - 7.2
Type d'eau
Eau douce
Niveau dans le bac
Fond
Taille adulte
5 cm
Volume minimal du bac
>= 60 L
Groupe minimal
>= 6
GH
2 - 12 dGH
KH
1 - 6 dKH
TDS
40 - 240 ppm
Conductivité
63 - 375 uS/cm
Description de l'espèce
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Meta River basin in Colombia. Prefers to live in shallow waters, slow tributaries and marginal pools on muddy substrates mixed with leaves.
Taxonomy and Morphology: Bandit Corydoras (Hoplisoma metae). Sometimes also called Bandit Corydoras like the melini. Unlike the melini, the dorsal band runs straight along the curved back up to the middle of the caudal peduncle, rather than descending obliquely.
Social Behavior: Strongly gregarious and sociable. Tends to explore the tank faithfully following the other individuals of the school. At a minimum, the colony must be 6 units.
Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Clean pinkish-beige base color. Obvious dark mask passing through the eye and a characteristic continuous black line running parallel to the curve of the back from the (entire) dorsal fin to the tail. Females are more swollen.
Soins, reproduction et cohabitation
Aquarium Setup: Basic aquarium (60-80 cm / 24-32 inches). The bottom must strictly be soft sand. Gravel or crushed quartz will cause fatal injuries to the barbels. Add wood, branches and natural shelters.
Diet and Feeding: Continuously probes the bottom in search of worms and crustaceans. Accepts bottom pellets and omnivorous wafers, but must be regularly fed with live or frozen (tubifex, bloodworms) to keep it healthy.
Water Quality: Very resistant to slight fluctuations but viscerally hates salt, even if used at low concentrations for in-tank therapies. Requires well-oxygenated water and regular water changes.
Compatibility and Cohabitation: Extreme pacifist. Ideal tankmate for Characins and Rasboras. Caution with large boisterous cichlids that might try to swallow it, choking due to the corydoras' pectoral spines.
Aquarium Breeding: Reproduces according to the classic Corydoras pattern: stimulus via a massive cold water change, courtship dance (T-shaped) and adhesive eggs placed on the glass, near the filter outlet.
Risks and Diseases: The lack of adequate nutrition due to food competition with faster fish leads C. metae to wasting and death in a few weeks.
Origine et répartition géographiques
Meta River basin in Colombia. Prefers to live in shallow waters, slow tributaries and marginal pools on muddy substrates mixed with leaves.
Origine
Amérique du Sud hors Amazonie
Profil de poisson
- Tempérament
- Peaceful
- These catfish are incredibly docile, peaceful, and non-aggressive, making Hoplisoma metae perfect community tank residents. They are somewhat shy by nature and heavily rely on the presence of a school to feel secure and display their natural behaviors. Providing plenty of hiding spots such as caves, driftwood, and dense vegetation will make them feel more comfortable. They never bother other fish and often completely ignore species occupying the middle and upper levels of the tank.
- Régime alimentaire
- Omnivore
- Hoplisoma metae is an omnivorous bottom feeder that constantly scavenges for food in the substrate. Their diet should be primarily composed of high-quality sinking pellets or wafers specifically formulated for bottom dwellers. To ensure optimal health and coloration, supplement their dry food with live or frozen foods such as bloodworms, daphnia, and brine shrimp. They will also eat uneaten food that falls from the surface, though they should not be treated merely as a clean-up crew.
- Espérance de vie
- 5-8 years
- Taille adulte
- 5 cm
- Ratio des sexes
- School
- While sexing them can be challenging, a ratio of two or three males per female is generally recommended for breeding Hoplisoma metae. Females are noticeably rounder and broader, especially when viewed from above, and tend to grow slightly larger. Males appear more slender and streamlined in comparison. Keeping them in a mixed-sex school naturally accommodates these ratios without requiring precise selection by the aquarist.
- Fréquence d'alimentation
- Twice daily
- These active scavengers should be fed one to two times daily to ensure they receive adequate nutrition. It is important to offer Hoplisoma metae only as much food as they can consume within a few minutes to prevent water quality issues. Since they are somewhat nocturnal by nature, feeding them once right before the aquarium lights turn off can be very beneficial. Monitoring their feeding is essential, especially in community tanks where faster mid-water fish might outcompete them for food.
- Charge biologique
- Low
- Hoplisoma metae has a relatively small bioload compared to larger aquarium fish. Due to their compact size, they produce a manageable amount of waste that standard filtration can easily process. However, because they must be kept in groups of at least six, the cumulative bioload should be considered when stocking. Regular water changes and good mechanical filtration are still necessary to keep the substrate clean where they dwell.
- Courant
- Moderate
- In the wild, Hoplisoma metae typically inhabits slow to moderately flowing streams and tributaries. They appreciate some gentle water movement in the aquarium, which helps keep the water well-oxygenated. However, excessive current or strong powerheads should be avoided as it can exhaust them over time. A standard sponge filter or a hang-on-back filter with baffled flow usually provides the ideal water dynamics for this species.
- Risque de saut
- No
- Reproduction
- Oviparous
- Breeding Hoplisoma metae in captivity is achievable but requires specific conditions to trigger spawning. A common trigger involves performing a large, slightly cooler water change to simulate the onset of the rainy season in their natural habitat. Females will lay adhesive eggs on broad-leaved plants, aquarium glass, or other flat surfaces. Once spawning is complete, the adult fish should be removed or the eggs transferred, as they may exhibit egg-eating behavior.
- Compatibilité et compagnons
- Community
- This species is highly peaceful and makes an excellent addition to community aquariums. Hoplisoma metae gets along perfectly with small tetras, rasboras, dwarf cichlids, and peaceful livebearers. It is crucial to avoid housing them with large, aggressive, or predatory fish that could bully them or attempt to eat them. As a schooling fish, they find safety and comfort in numbers of their own kind or similar Corydoras species.
- Niveau dans le bac
- Bottom
- As classic bottom dwellers, Hoplisoma metae occupies the lowest levels of the aquarium. They spend their days tirelessly exploring the substrate in search of morsels of food using their sensitive barbels. It is absolutely essential to provide a soft, sandy substrate to prevent damage to their delicate sensory barbels. Although they mostly remain at the bottom, they will occasionally dart to the water surface to swallow a bubble of air for intestinal respiration.
Modèles et paramètres scientifiques
FishBase
Fenêtre sur les données scientifiques officielles de l’espèce
FishBase v25.04Données synchronisées le : 15/06/2026
- Niveau trophique
- 3 ± 0,4 se
- Résilience
- Élevée (moins de 15 mois)
- Singularité phylogénétique (PD50)
- 0.5
- Relation bayésienne longueur-poids
- a = 0.00741, b = 3.14
- VulnérabilitéVulnérabilité faible (10 / 100)
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