Metahomaloptera is a genus of hillstream loaches, part of the flattened, sucker-bodied group of Asian stream fish adapted to clinging to rocks in fast-flowing water. The two atlas species, M. longicauda and M. omeiensis, are known from China and are small even by hillstream-loach standards, at just 1.5–2 in. Like their relatives, they have a depressed, disc-like body and broadly fanned paired fins that let them hold station against current on stony stream beds rather than swim freely in open water.
This is a genus known almost entirely to regional ichthyologists rather than the aquarium trade - it does not appear to have an established presence in the hobby, and data on its precise habits and biology stay sparse. Both atlas species are Not Evaluated for conservation status, which is typical for small-range Chinese hillstream loaches that have simply not been formally assessed rather than confirmed to be secure.