Micronemacheilus is a genus of small stone loaches in family Nemacheilidae, the large group of slender, scaleless loaches found across streams and rivers of Asia. The two atlas species, M. cruciatus and M. zispi, are known from China and Vietnam and span a wide size range for the genus, from about 1.5–3 in. Like other nemacheilids, they are elongate, cylindrical fish adapted to life on or near the streambed, using a small subterminal mouth and short barbels to pick at invertebrates and detritus among gravel and stones.
Micronemacheilus has little to no footprint in the aquarium hobby; nemacheilid loaches this size and this narrowly distributed are mostly documented through regional faunal surveys rather than encountered in the fish trade. Both atlas species are listed as Not Evaluated, so no formal judgment exists yet on their conservation status, though narrow-range stream fish in this part of Asia are frequently exposed to damming and water-quality pressure.