Head to head
Panda Corydoras vs Sterbai Corydoras
The panda corydoras and sterbai corydoras are both small, social armoured catfish, but they sit at opposite ends of the temperature range tolerated across the wider corydoras family.
| Panda Corydoras | Sterbai Corydoras | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Corydoras panda | Corydoras sterbai |
| Temperature preference | Cooler than most corydoras | Warmer than most corydoras |
| Signature marking | Black patches around eyes and tail | White speckling with orange pectoral fins |
| Native range | Upper Ucayali basin, Peru | Upper Rio Guapore basin, Brazil and Bolivia |
| Ideal tankmates | Cooler-water community fish | Discus and other warmth-loving fish |
| Social behaviour | Social, best kept in groups | Social, best kept in groups |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Habitat | Rainforest, wetlands | Rainforest, wetlands |
Panda Corydoras vs Sterbai Corydoras: common questions
Which corydoras prefers warmer water, the panda or the sterbai?
The sterbai corydoras tolerates unusually warm water for a corydoras, making it one of the few members of the group well suited to a discus tank, while the panda corydoras prefers noticeably cooler water temperatures, reflecting its origin in higher-elevation headwater streams in Peru.
How can you tell a panda corydoras from a sterbai corydoras?
The panda corydoras has bold black patches around each eye and across the tail base against a pale cream body, while the sterbai corydoras instead has a dark body covered in fine white speckling with vivid orange-red pectoral fins, two quite different colour patterns.
Can the panda corydoras be kept in the same tank as the sterbai corydoras?
Generally not recommended long-term, since the two species have opposite temperature preferences, with the panda corydoras favouring cooler water and the sterbai corydoras tolerating and often thriving in noticeably warmer conditions, making a single shared tank temperature a compromise for one or both species.