Kryptopterus is a genus of Southeast Asian sheatfish catfish, family Siluridae, found across Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam in slow to moderate rivers, streams, and floodplain waters. The 17 species in the atlas range from about 2–10.5 in and share a slender, laterally compressed, almost blade-like body with a long anal fin, a short or absent dorsal fin, and long barbels — a build typical of silurid catfish adapted to mid-water and surface feeding rather than bottom grubbing. Several members of the genus are known for having remarkably transparent flesh, through which the skeleton and internal organs can be seen, a trait that has made the group's common name almost synonymous with the fish itself.
Kryptopterus is well known in the aquarium hobby as the glass catfish, and Kryptopterus vitreolus in particular is a long-standing, widely traded schooling species prized for its see-through body and calm, peaceful temperament in a community tank. Because glass catfish are shoaling fish that startle and stress when kept alone or in small numbers, the trade has long favored tight groups, and confusion between look-alike species in the genus (several share the common name "glass catfish") has been a recurring identification issue for hobbyists and exporters alike. Most assessed species are Least Concern, though one is Critically Endangered and several remain Data Deficient or Not Evaluated, reflecting how patchy survey coverage still is across the group's Southeast Asian range.