Corydoras is a genus of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Callichthyidae, the armoured catfishes, and the subfamily Corydoradinae, the corys. The species usually have more restricted areas of endemism than other callichthyids, but the area of distribution of the entire genus almost equals the area of distribution of the family, except for Panama where Corydoras is not present. Corydoras species are distributed in South America where they can be found from the east of the Andes to the Atlantic coast, from Trinidad to the Río de la Plata drainage in northern Argentina.
Species assigned to Corydoras display a broad diversity of body shapes and coloration. Corydoras are small fish, ranging from 2.5 to 12 cm (1.0 to 4.7 in) in SL, and are protected from predators by their body armor and by their sharp, typically venomous spines.
