Microdesmidae

Microdesmidae
	Nemateleotris magnifica
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Gobiiformes
Suborder:	Gobioidei
Family:	Microdesmidae; Regan, 1912
Subfamilies & genera
	Subfamily Ptereleotrinae Aioliops; Navigobius; Nemateleotris; Oxymetopon; Parioglossus; Ptereleotris; Pterocerdale; Zagadkogobius ; Subfamily Microdesminae Cerdale; Clarkichthys; Gunnellichthys; Microdesmus; Paragunnellichthys;

The Microdesmidae, the wormfishes and dartfishes, were a family of goby-like fishes in the order Gobiiformes, more recent workers have placed this taxon within the Gobiidae, although the researchers do not define the taxonomic status of this grouping within that family.^[2] Two subfamilies in this family were briefly treated as full families - the Ptereleotrinae (dartfishes) and Microdesminae (wormfishes).^[3] The family includes about 82 species.

They are found in shallow tropical waters, both marine and brackish, often burrowing in estuarine mud. They are small fish, the largest species reaching only about 12 cm in length.

References

^ Prokofiev, A.M. (2017): New Genus of Ptereleotrinae (Gobioidei) from the South China Sea. Journal of Ichthyology, 57 (1): 158–160.
^ J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. p. 752. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6.
^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Family Microdesmidae". FishBase. December 2013 version.

[Prokofiev2017-1] Prokofiev, A.M. (2017): New Genus of Ptereleotrinae (Gobioidei) from the South China Sea. Journal of Ichthyology, 57 (1): 158–160.

[Nelson5-2] J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. p. 752. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6.

[fishbase-3] Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Family Microdesmidae". FishBase. December 2013 version.

[1]

[2]

[3]