Microphilypnus is a genus of small fishes in the family Eleotridae native to the Amazon and Orinoco basins in South America. At up to 2.4 cm (0.94 in) in standard length,[2] they are among the smallest sleeper gobies, but however larger than the Leptophilypnion sleeper gobies from the same region.[3] The bottom-dwelling Microphilypnus are typically found in shallow water among leaf-litter or partially buried in sand,[4] and they can be very abundant in their habitat.[5] Their small size combined with a speckled and semi-transparent appearance makes them highly cryptic.[4] They somewhat resemble certain freshwater shrimp (Palaemonetes and Pseudopalaemon), as well as Priocharax characins, and they sometimes group together.[4]Microphilypnus feed on tiny invertebrates.[5]
^Roberts, T.R. (2013): Leptophilypnion, a new genus with two new species of tiny central Amazonian gobioid fishes (Teleostei, Eleotridae). aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology, 19 (2): 85–98.
^ abcCarvalho, L.N.; J. Zuanon; and I. Sazima (2006). The almost invisible league: crypsis and association between minute fishes and shrimps as a possible defence against visually hunting predators. Neotrop. Ichthyol. 4(2). doi:10.1590/S1679-62252006000200008
^ abAmazonian Fish: Gobiformes. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
^ abCaires, R.A. (2013): Microphilypnus tapajosensis, a new species of eleotridid from the Tapajós basin, Brazil (Gobioidei: Eleotrididae). Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters, 24 (2): 155–160.
