HomeFreshwater aquarium fishCatfish & plecosMasked corydoras Masked corydoras (Corydoras metae) Scientific name: Corydoras metae Eigenmann, 1914 The Masked corydoras (Corydoras metae) is a freshwater fish of the family Callichthyidae that grows to about 4.8 cm (1.9 in). It is moderate to keep and peaceful, suits community aquariums and needs a tank of at least 75 L (20 US gal), water at 22–26°C (72–79°F) and a pH of 6.0–8.0. Native range: South America, Barrigona, R?o Meta, Colombia. Masked corydoras care at a glanceCare levelModerateTemperamentPeacefulCommunity tankGoodAdult size4.8 cm (1.9 in)Minimum tank75 L (20 US gal)Temperature22–26°C (72–79°F)pH6.0–8.0Hardness2–25 dGH (36–446 ppm)DietOmnivore Species factsScientific nameCorydoras metaeFamilyCallichthyidae (Callichthyid armored catfishes)OrderSiluriformes (Catfish)ClassActinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)Maximum length4.8EnvironmentFreshwater;; pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dH range: 2 - 25 demersalClimateTropicalDistributionSouth America: Meta River basin in Colombia.Conservation status (IUCN)Not EvaluatedThreat to humansHarmlessUsesFisheries: of no interest; aquarium: commercialResilienceHigh, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.) More catfish & plecosBlue corydorasCorydoras nattereriPanda corydorasCorydoras pandaPastaza corydorasCorydoras pastazensisSixray corydorasAspidoras pauciradiatusDwarf corydorasCorydoras hastatusPretty corydorasCorydoras pulcherSee all catfish & plecos SourcesTaxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Aquarium care parameters compiled, checked and converted to metric and imperial units by Guppies.za.net.Last updated 28 September 2026