[3] Until 1989, K. vitreolus was considered to be the same as another "glass catfish", Kryptopterus bicirrhis, a larger species that is not commonly seen in captivity.

The species' skin is made of a "plywood"-like structure of collagen fibrils, which allows for light to enter and diffract through the muscles.

[2] According to Thai folklore, this species of catfish was born from Phra Ruang, the legendary king who had supernatural speech.

[5] The aquarium trade in K. vitreolus generally relies on wild-caught specimens, and there are concerns that this may be unsustainable due to the volume and its limited range.

[2] One of the places where they are caught in the wild is the Phru To Daeng peat swamp forest, Narathiwat province in deep south Thailand.