Plataplochilus is a genus of small African lampeye killifish, part of the egg-laying Procatopodinae group, native to forest streams and swamps of west-central Africa — the atlas records the genus from Gabon, Angola, Equatorial Guinea and the Congo Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo region. Like other lampeyes they carry a bright, iridescent patch above the eye — the feature that gives the group its common name — a slender, surface-oriented body, and an upturned mouth suited to picking insects and small invertebrates off the water's surface. The atlas covers 9 species, from about 1–2.5 in.
Lampeyes in general are a quiet corner of the killifish hobby — peaceful, small, and best kept in soft, acidic, blackwater-style water with dense floating plants, in a species tank or with equally gentle, similarly sized tankmates rather than boisterous community fish. Within Plataplochilus, species such as P. chalcopyrus (flame lampeye) and P. pulcher (beautiful lampeye) show the colorful, surface-swimming character that draws in specialist keepers, though the genus as a whole is rarely seen in general fish stores. Conservation status is a live concern for part of the genus — alongside three Least Concern and four Not Evaluated species, the atlas lists one Vulnerable and one Endangered species, consistent with the pressure central African forest-stream habitats face from deforestation and land conversion.