Microphilypnus

{{Short description|Genus of fishes}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| taxon = Microphilypnus

| authority = G. S. Myers, 1927

| type_species = Microphilypnus ternetzi

| type_species_authority = G. S. Myers, 1927{{Cof record|genid=6998|title=Microphilypnus|access-date=27 July 2018}}

}}

Microphilypnus is a genus of small fishes in the family Eleotridae native to the Amazon and Orinoco basins in South America. At up to {{convert|2.4|cm|in|abbr=on}} in standard length,{{FishBase genus | genus = Microphilypnus| month = October| year = 2013}} they are among the smallest sleeper gobies, but however larger than the Leptophilypnion sleeper gobies from the same region.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. The bottom-dwelling Microphilypnus are typically found in shallow water among leaf-litter or partially buried in sand,Carvalho, 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}} and they can be very abundant in their habitat.Amazonian Fish: [http://www.amazonian-fish.co.uk/indexgobi.html Gobiformes.] Retrieved 23 September 2017. Their small size combined with a speckled and semi-transparent appearance makes them highly cryptic. They somewhat resemble certain freshwater shrimp (Palaemonetes and Pseudopalaemon), as well as Priocharax characins, and they sometimes group together. Microphilypnus feed on tiny invertebrates.