Distichodus is a genus of African characiforms in the family Distichodontidae, found mainly across the Congo basin and neighboring river systems — the atlas's 28 species are drawn from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, Tanzania, Angola, and the Central African Republic. Most species are deep-bodied, laterally compressed fish with small, downturned mouths adapted for grazing plant material, and several common names in the genus reflect that diet directly — the Grass-eaters (D. engycephalus, D. rostratus) chief among them. Body patterns are often bold, with vertical banding or spotting, as in the Six-banded Distichodus (D. sexfasciatus) and the Sharktail Distichodus (D. fasciolatus).
Several Distichodus are recognizable aquarium fish, especially as juveniles — the Six-banded and Sharktail species are the ones most likely to be sold — but the genus is a common case of a fish outgrowing its welcome: adult sizes in the atlas range up to about 32.5 in, so most Distichodus need far larger, more heavily filtered tanks than buyers typically expect from an attractively banded juvenile. Diet in captivity should lean vegetable-heavy given their grazing habits in the wild. The genus's conservation picture is currently reassuring where assessed — most evaluated species sit at Least Concern — though two species are listed as Vulnerable and several remain Not Evaluated.