Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 17, 2026

Microsternarchus

Microsternarchus is a genus of bluntnose knifefish that is found in creeks and streams, often in areas with submerged vegetation, roots and leaf litter, in the Amazon, Orinoco, Essequibo–Rupununi and Río de la Plata basins in South America. The two recognized species are both small knifefish, with the largest being M. bilineatus at up to 12 cm (4.7 in) in total length. The other is M. brevis, which at up to only 5.3 cm (2.1 in) is the world's smallest knifefish. Microsternarchus are very similar to Brachyhypopomus.

Last revised
Jul 17, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
276 w
Citations
8
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Microsternarchus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Gymnotiformes
Family: Hypopomidae
Genus: Microsternarchus
Fernández-Yépez, 19681
Type species
Microsternarchus bilineatus
Fernández-Yépez 19681

Microsternarchus is a genus of bluntnose knifefish that is found in creeks and streams, often in areas with submerged vegetation, roots and leaf litter, in the Amazon, Orinoco, Essequibo–Rupununi and Río de la Plata basins in South America.2 The two recognized species are both small knifefish, with the largest being M. bilineatus at up to 12 cm (4.7 in) in total length. The other is M. brevis, which at up to only 5.3 cm (2.1 in) is the world's smallest knifefish.34 Microsternarchus are very similar to Brachyhypopomus.5

Species

There are currently 2 recognized species in this genus:3

References

References

  1. Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Hypopomidae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  2. Cox Fernandes, C., Nogueira, A., Williston, A. & Alves-Gomes, J.A. (2015): A new species of electric knifefish from the rio Negro, Amazon basin (Gymnotiformes: Hypopomidae, Microsternarchini). Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 164 (1): 213-227.
  3. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Microsternarchus". FishBase. December 2017 version.
  4. van der Sleen, P.; J.S. Albert, eds. (2017). Field Guide to the Fishes of the Amazon, Orinoco, and Guianas. Princeton University Press. p. 334. ISBN 978-0691170749.
  5. Crampton, W.G.R.; C.D. de Santana; J.C. Waddell; N.R. Lovejoy (2016). "A Taxonomic Revision of the Neotropical Electric Fish Genus Brachyhypopomus (Ostariophysi: Gymnotiformes: Hypopomidae), with Descriptions of 15 New Species". Neotropical Ichthyology. 14 (4). doi:10.1590/1982-0224-20150146.