Amblydoras is a genus of thorny catfish in family Doradidae, the group of South American catfish known for the row of bony, hook-tipped plates running along each flank in place of scales - a defense that lets them wedge themselves into crevices and makes them awkward for predators to swallow. Atlas species measure 3.5–5 in, a modest size compared to some of the family's much larger members. In the atlas the genus is found across Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela, in the slow-moving rivers, streams, and flooded-forest habitat typical of doradid catfish.
Like other doradids, Amblydoras species are part of the so-called talking catfish, able to produce an audible croaking or grunting sound by rubbing a modified pectoral spine against its girdle joint - most often heard when the fish is handled or stressed. They are nocturnal bottom dwellers and opportunistic scavengers, hardy and undemanding in temperament, and occasionally available in the aquarium trade, though less often than better-known doradids such as Platydoras or Agamyxis. Amblydoras monitor, the monitor thorny catfish, and Amblydoras nauticus, the Nauta thorny catfish, are the two atlas species with established common names. Conservation status leans unremarkable, with three of the five atlas species rated Least Concern and the remaining two Not Evaluated.