The family Microdesmidae includes the Wormfish and the Dartfish. Dartfish in the Marshall Islands include two genera, Nemateleotris and Ptereleotris, while the local Wormfish include at least three species in the genus Gunnellichthys, two of which are figured here. All three known species of the dartfish genus Nemateleotris are found at Kwajalein. All three are plankton eaters who hover a short distance off the bottom, darting into a safe hole at the approach of potential danger. Local Ptereleotris include five species. Unless otherwise noted, sizes given are maximum sizes for the species listed in Fishbase, not necessarily the size of the figured specimen.
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