Hoplosternum littorale is the speciesof Callichthyidae with widest distribution. It is present in all of South America east of the Andes and north of Buenos Aires, includingthe Río Orinoco, Trinidad, coastal rivers of the Guianas,Río Amazonas drainage, Río Paraguay, lower RíoParaná and coastal systems in southern Brazil.One single lot is known from the upper rio Paraná (MZUSP40336) and the rio São Francisco drainage (MCP 16715).Oliveira (1991) suggested that these occurrences may representintroduced populations. Very recently (December, 1995) I received from Dr. Leo Nicoa lot of this species collected in Florida (USA).

Hoplosternum magdalenae occurs westof the Andes, in the Lago Maracaibo basin in Venezuela, and inthe drainages of Río Sinu and Río Magdalena in Colombia.
Finally, Hoplosternum punctatum is only found in the Río Atratobasin in Colombia and in the Pacific coastal drainages of Panamá,in southern Central America.