Hoplisoma

The Acre cory, Hoplisoma acrense, long known as Corydoras acrensis, is an armoured catfish that appears to be endemic to the rio Juruá basin in Acre State, Brazil. It was apparently described from a single specimen, and little has been written about it since. Peaceful and gregarious, it should be kept in a group of at least 4-6.

Adolfo's cory, Hoplisoma adolfoi, long known as Corydoras adolfoi, is an armoured catfish apparently highly endemic to the upper rio Negro near São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Brazil. One of several rio Negro Corydoras with an oblique dark bar along the back, it is most easily confused with C. duplicareus and cannot be separated from it reliably by colour. It inhabits pristine blackwater tributaries and flooded forest.

Hoplisoma albolineatum (C056), long known as Corydoras albolineatus, is an armoured catfish from the Río Iténez, or Guaporé, system in Bolivia and Brazil. It has a wide white longitudinal band and unmarked fins, and may be confused with the deeper-bodied C. xinguensis. In the wild it forms aggregations of up to several thousand over sandy substrates and sand banks. It is not common in the hobby but is available occasionally.

Hoplisoma armatum, long known as Corydoras armatus, is an armoured catfish from the Río Huallaga watershed in Peru, to which it may be endemic. Fish from the upper rio Madeira in Brazil and Bolivia have been traded as C. sp. 'dorsalis' and C. sp. 'ogawae' and are officially considered conspecific, although the two areas lie almost 2500 km apart. It can also be confused with C. loretoensis but has a deeper body and a longer, slightly curved dorsal-fin spine.

The fairy cory, Hoplisoma atropersonatum, long known as Corydoras atropersonatus, is an armoured catfish known only from the Tigre and Nanay drainages in Ecuador and Peru. It is sometimes confused with C. sychri, a more elongate fish with a longer snout, and more closely with C097, traded as C. sychri 'longnose'. C097 has a snout of intermediate length and better-defined, more widely spaced dark spots.

Axelrod's cory, Hoplisoma axelrodi, long known as Corydoras axelrodi, is an armoured catfish apparently endemic to the Río Meta drainage in Colombia, a tributary of the Orinoco. Also known as the 'pink corydoras', it has between one and three dark stripes on each flank. It resembles C. loxozonus, C003 and CW021, and all four are sometimes traded as C. 'deckeri'. In C. axelrodi the principal stripe runs around midbody.

Boeseman's catfish, Hoplisoma boesemani, long known as Corydoras boesemani, is an armoured catfish endemic to the upper Suriname River system in Suriname. It appears abundant there, in clear, soft, acidic water over sand, mud and leaf litter, with juveniles forming large aggregations and adults smaller groups. It is uncommon in the hobby but has been collected on a handful of occasions.

The blackstripe cory, Hoplisoma bondi, long known as Corydoras bondi, is an armoured catfish from Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname, including the Essequibo and Courantyne systems. It was once considered common in the hobby, but many fish traded under the name may be the similar C. sipaliwini or C. coppenamensis. C. sipaliwini has larger body spots and a dark marking on the first dorsal-fin rays, while C. coppenamensis is more orangish.

The spotted cory, Hoplisoma brevirostre, long known as Corydoras brevirostris, is an armoured catfish usually said to occur in the Orinoco system in Venezuela and coastal Suriname. It was described from an aquarium specimen and its wider distribution is somewhat vague. It belongs to a group of similar congeners, including C. melanistius, C. delphax and C. ephippifer, that are widely misidentified, and is generally identified by a short, rounded snout and dark bars in the caudal fin.

Burgess' cory, Hoplisoma burgessi, long known as Corydoras burgessi, is an armoured catfish apparently endemic to the upper rio Negro basin in Brazil. One of several similarly patterned congeners, including C. adolfoi, C. davidsandsi and C. duplicareus, it has a black marking restricted to the area beneath the dorsal fin and extending into it, with a yellowish patch on top of the head. Rio Negro habitats are mostly blackwater tributaries and flooded forest.

Hoplisoma carlae, long known as Corydoras carlae, is an armoured catfish endemic to the lower Río Iguazu in Misiones province, northern Argentina. It appears restricted to small tributaries above the Iguazu Falls with clear, fast-flowing, shallow water, and needs stable, clean conditions. Two large, indistinct dark blotches on each flank separate it from most similar congeners, and it was introduced to the hobby by Hans-Georg Evers in 2010.

The tailspot cory, Hoplisoma caudimaculatum, long known as Corydoras caudimaculatus, is an armoured catfish endemic to the rio Guaporé (Iténez) drainage in western Brazil and Bolivia. A well-defined blackish spot on the caudal peduncle separates it from C. similis, in which the marking is a smudged bluish one. C. guapore has a comparable pattern but a distinctly rounded snout, and tends to swim above the substrate.

The barredtail cory, Hoplisoma cochui, long known as Corydoras cochui, is a small armoured catfish native to the upper rio Araguaia in central Brazil. It grows to around 35 mm SL and has been assigned the code C022. It can be told apart from the similar C. habrosus by the 4 to 5 dark markings along each side of the body, where C. habrosus has 2 to 3.

The slate cory, Hoplisoma concolor, long known as Corydoras concolor, is an armoured catfish restricted to parts of the Orinoco river system in western Venezuela. Its uniformly greyish colour pattern sets it apart from congeners, along with a deep body, large eye and relatively long dorsal-fin spine. Mature males develop an extended dorsal fin.

Hoplisoma copei, long known as Corydoras copei, is an armoured catfish from Peru, apparently endemic to the Río Pastaza basin and possibly the lower Río Marañón. It is not well known and rarely traded. It looks very similar to several congeners, particularly C. acrensis and C. cruziensis, and little has been written about it since its description.

The Santa Cruz cory, Hoplisoma cruziense, long known as Corydoras cruziensis, is an armoured catfish from the Bolivian portion of the Río Madeira basin. The precise extent of its range is unclear and may include the Mamoré and Beni drainages. It is not well documented, but is said to differ from C. punctatus in having larger dark body markings, which form an irregular midlateral stripe in some specimens.

Sand's cory, Hoplisoma davidsandsi, long known as Corydoras davidsandsi, is an armoured catfish apparently endemic to the rio Unini system in the lower rio Negro basin, Brazil. One of a group of rio Negro species with an oblique dark bar along the back, it shares with C. melini a bar that splits in two above the caudal peduncle. It has a pale orange area between the facial stripe and dorsal bar and no further dark markings on the flanks.

Hoplisoma duplicareum, long known as Corydoras duplicareus, is an armoured catfish known only from a small portion of the upper rio Negro system in Brazil. It belongs to a group of rio Negro congeners with an oblique dark bar along the back, and is most easily confused with C. adolfoi. The bar tends to be broader and the orange nape patch more intense in C. duplicareus, but neither character separates the two reliably.

Hoplisoma ehrhardti, long known as Corydoras ehrhardti, is an armoured catfish from eastern Brazil, known from southern São Paulo to northern Santa Catarina states. It inhabits minor rivers and small streams with soft substrates, a number of them modified by human activity. It is rarely traded and resembles several congeners, including C. carlae, C. paleatus and C. steindachneri.

Hoplisoma flaveolum, long known as Corydoras flaveolus, is an armoured catfish from tributaries of the rio Tietê in the upper rio Paraná basin, São Paulo state, Brazil. It is exceptionally rare in the hobby. Its closest congener is C. lacrimostigmata, from which it differs in having more serrations on the pectoral- and dorsal-fin spines, a rounded snout and flanks and fins densely patterned with spots and bars.

Hoplisoma gladysae, long known as Corydoras gladysae, is an armoured catfish known only from two localities in the Río Calchaquí watershed in Salta province, northwestern Argentina. The Calchaquí is a swift, snow-fed mountain river with hard water, and the species shows adaptations to life among rocks in flowing water, including a cryptic colour pattern, short fin spines and reduced body depth. It is unlikely to be collected for commercial purposes.

The palespotted cory, Hoplisoma gossei, long known as Corydoras gossei, is an armoured catfish from the rio Mamoré watershed in Rondônia state, northwestern Brazil. It is also likely to occur in northern Bolivia, since the Mamoré forms the border between the two countries at the type locality. Also known as 'smokey cory' and 'Gosse's cory', it shares its colour pattern with C. seussi from the same river, which has a noticeably prolonged snout. A form referred to as 'CW069' appears intermediate between the two.

Hoplisoma griseum, long known as Corydoras griseus, is an armoured catfish from Guyana, where it may be restricted to the Potaro River in the Essequibo watershed. It was described from aquarium specimens said to come from 'very small water courses of the Amazon', and the type locality was later corrected to the Potaro by Nijssen and Isbrücker (1980). Similar-looking fishes from Rondônia state, Brazil, carry the 'C' numbers C040 and C073, and C134 from Amapá state is also comparable.

The salt and pepper cory, Hoplisoma habrosum, long known as Corydoras habrosus, is a tiny armoured catfish from left bank tributaries of the upper Orinoco in Colombia and Venezuela. Most records come from the Río Apure watershed in the Llanos, where it apparently favours lagoons, streams, inundated forest and grassland with little flow. Also called 'dainty cory' and 'Venezuelan pygmy cory', it has 2-3 dark markings along the side of the body, against 4-5 in the similar C. cochui.

The julii cory, Hoplisoma julii, long known as Corydoras julii, is an armoured catfish from coastal river systems south of the Amazon delta in northeastern Brazil. Also known as 'leopard cory' or 'three-lined cory', it is often confused with C. trilineatus from the upper Amazon, and many fish traded as C. julii are that species. C. julii has numerous small, distinct spots on the head, where C. trilineatus has vermiform markings, though some C. trilineatus are spotted too.

Hoplisoma kanei, long known as Corydoras kanei, is an armoured catfish that appears to be native to the rio Negro basin in Brazil, possibly only the rio Branco drainage. Before description it was assigned the 'C' numbers C026 and C046. It is most easily confused with C. atropersonatus and sometimes traded as that species, but has dark markings in the anal and caudal fins, more numerous and smaller dark spots on the body, and a darker base colouration.

Hoplisoma lacrimostigmata, long known as Corydoras lacrimostigmata, is a small armoured catfish known only from the rio Ivaí basin, in the rio Paraná drainage of Paraná state, southern Brazil. It has three nasal pores and four to six small, rounded black blotches along the centre of the flank. It is most similar to C. flaveolus, but has fewer serrations on the pectoral- and dorsal-fin spines, a slightly pointed snout and a more slender body.

The blackfin cory, Hoplisoma leucomelas, long known as Corydoras leucomelas, is an armoured catfish from the upper Amazon in Peru. It schools in very large numbers over soft substrates in blackwater rivers, and is exported in huge numbers, often in 'mixed' or 'spotted Corydoras' consignments with the similar C. agassizii, C. ambiacus, C. gomezi and C. schwartzi. An obvious dark band through the eye separates it from C. agassizii and C. ambiacus, and its dark dorsal marking extends into the upper body.

Hoplisoma loretoense, long known as Corydoras loretoensis, is an armoured catfish from the upper Amazon in Peru, growing to around 50 mm SL. The profile singles out its very long dorsal spine. Nothing is recorded of its habitat.

Hoplisoma loxozonum, long known as Corydoras loxozonus, is an armoured catfish from the Rio Meta basin in Colombia, also referred to by its C-number, C082. Its habitat in the wild is unknown. It prefers slightly lower temperatures than many Corydoras, which matters when choosing tankmates.

The spotted cory, Hoplisoma melanistium, long known as Corydoras melanistius, is an armoured catfish from coastal rivers and tributaries of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It can be told from the similar C. delphax by its 12-13 dorsal-fin rays, against usually 7 in C. delphax. Two subspecies once assigned to it are now C. brevirostris and C. ambiacus.

The false bandit cory, Hoplisoma melini, long known as Corydoras melini, is an armoured catfish from tributaries of the rios Negro, Caquetá and Orinoco in Brazil and Colombia. Its oblique dark bar along the back splits into two above the caudal peduncle, a feature shared only with C. davidsandsi, from which the dark markings on its flanks separate it. The rio Tiquié population is known in the hobby as 'C084', and a similar, slightly larger form from Peru as 'C085'.

The bandit cory, Hoplisoma metae, long known as Corydoras metae, is an armoured catfish endemic to the upper Río Meta, an Orinoco tributary in eastern Colombia. It appears to be absent from the lower Meta and has not been recorded in Venezuela. Also called 'masked' or 'Meta' cory, it has an oblique dark bar on the rear of the body that ends at the caudal-fin base without splitting, and no other dark markings on the body.

Natterer's cory, Hoplisoma nattereri, long known as Corydoras nattereri, is an armoured catfish from coastal zones of southern Brazil between Espírito Santo and Paraná. Also known as the blue cory, it needs slightly cool conditions, in which many commonly available fish fail to thrive.

The flag-tailed panda cory, Hoplisoma oiapoquense, long known as Corydoras oiapoquensis, is an armoured catfish from the upper Rio Oyapock in French Guiana and Brazil. It lives alongside the near-identical C. condiscipulus, and the two are often found shoaling together. The only external differences seem to be the longer snout and wider distribution in the Oyapock of C. condiscipulus.

The pepper cory, Hoplisoma paleatum, long known as Corydoras paleatus, is an armoured catfish from southern Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina. Along with the bronze cory it is one of the most commonly found corys in the hobby. Most fish on sale are captive bred for the trade, and wild-caught specimens are much more vividly coloured. In nature it lives in rivers, tributaries and standing waters including pools and small lakes.

The panda cory, Hoplisoma panda, long known as Corydoras panda, is an armoured catfish from the upper Amazon in Peru, named for dark and light markings that recall the giant panda. Wildly expensive when first imported in the late 1970s, it is now mass-produced, and virtually all fish in the trade are farmed. Wild fish live in clear and blackwater streams that cool to around 19 °C when Andean meltwater arrives.

Hoplisoma petracinii, long known as Corydoras petracinii, is an armoured catfish known only from one ephemeral stream in the Río San Lorenzo watershed of Salta province, Argentina. It shows adaptations to life among rocks in flowing water, including a cryptic colour pattern, short dorsal and pectoral spines and reduced body depth. The stream runs almost dry for much of the year and is under great ecological pressure from the nearby city of Salta, road building and dumping of refuse.

Hoplisoma polystictum, long known as Corydoras polystictus, is a small armoured catfish from the upper Rio Paraguay in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso. It inhabits small tributaries, creeks, areas of flooded forest and sand banks. It may be confused with C. similis but is easily distinguished by its unpatterned caudal peduncle, since C. similis has a blueish smudge-like marking there. Very peaceful, it is best kept in a group of at least six.

Schwartz's cory, Hoplisoma schwartzi, long known as Corydoras schwartzi, is an armoured catfish endemic to the Rio Purus drainage in Brazil. It inhabits small tributaries, creeks, areas of flooded forest and sand banks. Very peaceful, it is best kept in a group of at least six, and although it can be spawned like many other Corydoras, spawning is apparently tricky to induce in this species.

The smudge spot cory, Hoplisoma simile, long known as Corydoras similis, is an armoured catfish from the Rio Madeira basin in Brazil. Several species can be confused with it at first glance, including C. guapore, C. caudimaculatus, C. ourastigma and C. spectabilis, but they are easily told apart on close examination. C. caudimaculatus has a much darker, better-defined blotch at the caudal peduncle, and the long-snouted C. ourastigma has a grey or black blotch where C. similis has a blueish one.

Sterba's cory, Hoplisoma sterbai, long known as Corydoras sterbai, is a peaceful armoured catfish from Bolivia and Brazil, marked with light spots on a dark head. Almost all fish in the trade are produced commercially on farms. The head pattern separates it from the similar C. haraldschultzi, in which the markings are dark on a light background, and it is generally considered one of the easiest Corydoras to spawn.

The three-lined cory, Hoplisoma trilineatum, long known as Corydoras trilineatus, is an armoured catfish from the Amazon basin in Colombia, Peru and Brazil and coastal rivers of Suriname. Most of the fish sold as C. julii are in fact this species, and the two are very hard to tell apart without knowing where the fish were collected. Peaceful and hardy, it ranks among the very best choices for the newcomer to catfish and is one of the easiest Corydoras to spawn.

The Xingu cory, Hoplisoma xinguense, long known as Corydoras xinguensis, is a small spotted armoured catfish from creeks in the upper Rio Xingu basin in Mato Grosso, Brazil. It is also sold as the dust cory, and fish traded under the C-numbers C055 and C105 to C108 have all been identified as this species. Dias et al. (2024) moved it to Hoplisoma as Hoplisoma xinguense. One of the smaller corys, it is best kept in a group of ten or more.