They are found worldwide in virtually any freshwater habitat and a few species live in saline water.

Members of the Corixidae are commonly known as lesser water boatmen: the term used in the United Kingdom to distinguish species such as Corixa punctata[2] from Notonecta glauca, or greater water-boatman, an insect of a different family, Notonectidae.

[4] In fact, Corixidae have a broad range of feeding styles: carnivorous, detritivorous, herbivorous and omnivorous.

Some species within this family are preyed upon by a number of amphibians including the rough-skinned newt (Taricha granulosa).

These 52 genera belong to the family Corixidae: Data sources: i = ITIS,[6] c = Catalogue of Life,[7] g = GBIF,[8] b = Bugguide.net[9]