Smudge Spot Cory
Hoplisoma simile
Callichthyidae
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About
Sold as the violet or smudge-spot cory, Corydoras similis is a rio Madeira fish with a lilac sheen over a finely peppered body and a single dark smudge at the top of the tail root - the marking the English name comes from. It looks like an ordinary quiet cory until the light catches it. Its published maximum size is the one thing the sources genuinely disagree about: FishBase gives 3.8 cm SL, close to the material Hieronimus described in 1991; Seriously Fish prints 6 cm; the Dutch encyclopaedia AquaInfo says 5 cm. We list 5.5 cm because that is roughly where aquarium fish land, and the honest note is that this is a range rather than a measurement - which is also why this entry is not marked high confidence. Seriously Fish lists C. guapore, C. caudimaculatus, C. ourastigma and C. spectabilis as the species it can be confused with; all of them carry a tail-root mark of their own. The 2024 revision of the subfamily moved it from Corydoras into the resurrected genus Hoplisoma, and because Hoplisoma is neuter the epithet changes ending with it: similis becomes simile. Older books and most shop labels still call it Corydoras similis — same fish, same care.
Care
Six or more over fine sand at 23-26 °C, in soft to medium water on the acid side of neutral. It is peaceful to the point of shyness, so keep it away from anything large or boisterous and give it shade - driftwood, dried leaves, a planted corner. Sinking tablets as the staple with frozen daphnia, artemia and bloodworm on top. As with every cory, food that never reaches the substrate is food this fish never eats.
Diet
Omnivore. Sinking pellets or tablets as the staple, plus live and frozen daphnia, artemia and bloodworm.
Tankmate compatibility
Gets along with (234)
Possible with care (125)
Avoid (59)
Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.
Telling males from females
What works for this species, most reliable first.
- Width from aboveStrong · from about 8 months, once they are adult-sized
Corydoras are sexed from directly above, never from the side. Look down at the group while they rest on the sand.
- Bristles and cheek spinesA hint only · from about a year
Male plecos grow odontodes — spiny growths on the cheeks and along the leading pectoral rays. Bristlenose males additionally grow branching tentacles across the snout and over the top of the head.
Also in these lists
Similar species
Same category and the closest water parameters — if this species isn't quite it, start here.
Health
Disease guide entries relevant to this species — worth a read before you reach for medicine.
The full disease guide →Sold in Lithuania
These Lithuanian shops listed this species in their public catalogue (checked August 8, 2026). Stock moves — ask before you travel.
These links are unpaid: we get nothing for them and ask for nothing.
Frequently asked questions
- What tank size does a Smudge Spot Cory need?
- A Smudge Spot Cory needs an aquarium of at least 60 litres (15.9 US gallons) with a footprint at least 60 cm (23.6 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
- What water parameters does a Smudge Spot Cory need?
- Smudge Spot Cory does best at 21–27 °C (69.8–80.6 °F), pH 5.6–7.5 and a general hardness of 1–12 °dGH.
- What group size does a Smudge Spot Cory need?
- Smudge Spot Cory is a social species — keep a group of at least 6 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
- Is the Smudge Spot Cory suitable for beginners?
- Smudge Spot Cory sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.