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This species can be confused with Hoplisoma davidsandsi and Hoplisoma melini but the revealing factor is the position of the black body stripe on H. metae which runs over the ridge of the back whereas in H. melini it breaks and divides into two over the back and continues to almost the end of the lower lobe of the caudal fin, in other words it shows the body colouration on the ridge of the back, while H. metae, on the ridge of the back, is black. The difference between H. metae and H. davidsandsi is that the latter has a broader black band which covers the ridge of the back, whereas H. metae has a thinner band and has also a thinner black band over its eyes, compared to H. davidsandsi. The latter also has a lighter body colour. Lineage: Placed in Lineage 9, the "short-snouted" species with the designated type species: C. punctatus. A revision in the future would constitute the resurrection of the genus name Hoplisoma (Agassiz, 1846). As of the latest revision (Dias et al 2024) Corydoras metae has now been placed in Lineage 9 and has the new genus name of Hoplisoma. Aquarium Care: Good addition to an average sized community tank. Purchase at least six specimens to form a group. Diet: Adults can be fed the usual good quality flake food, frozen bloodworm, tablet foods, white and grindal worms. Etymology: The specific name metae: From the River (Rio) Meta, South America (Colombia). Remarks: This species is still found on some online sources as Corydoras metae.

Bandit Corydoras

Corydoras metae

Callichthyidae

South America: Colombia, Tributaries of the Rio Meta near Puerto López and also in the Rio Ocoa, Rio Negro and Rio Manacacias near Puerto Gaitau. Also tributaries of the Rio Guaviare, near San Jose del Guaviare.

Male 4.5cm (1¾ins) Female: 5.0cm (2ins)

22-25°C (71-77°F)

6.0-7.2.

Alexandrou, Markos & Taylor, Martin. (2011). Evolution, ecology and taxonomy of the Corydoradinae revisited.
Angelica C Dias, Luiz F C Tencatt, Fabio F Roxo, Gabriel de Souza da Costa Silva, Sérgio A Santos, Marcelo R Britto, Martin I Taylor, Claudio Oliveira, Phylogenomic analyses in the complex Neotropical subfamily Corydoradinae (Siluriformes: Callichthyidae) with a new classification based on morphological and molecular data, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2024;, zlae053.
Ian A. M. Fuller & Hans-Georg Evers (2011). Identifying Corydoradinae Catfish Supplement 1. Ian Fuller Enterprises.
ScotCat Factsheet no. 06. April 1997.
Seus, Werner: Corydoras, The most Popular armoured catfishes of South America.