Madtoms are freshwater catfishes (order Siluriformes) of the genus Noturus of the family Ictaluridae. It is the most species-rich family of catfish in North America, native to the central and eastern United States, and adjacent parts of Canada. Their fin spines contain a mild venom with a sting comparable to that of a honey bee. A number of madtom species are narrowly distributed and extremely rare, thus are at great risk of extinction. Noturus trautmani may even be extinct, having been last collected in 1957.