Aplocheiloidei

The three families within the suborder Aplocheiloidei are:^[2][3]

• Aplocheilidae Bleeker, 1859
• Nothobranchiidae Garman, 1895
• Rivulidae Myers, 1925

The only known fossil member of the suborder is the Late Miocene-aged Kenyaichthys from the Lukeino Formation of Kenya, which is the only known member of the family Kenyaichthyidae Altner & Reichenbacher, 2015.^[4]

Some authorities have lumped the three families into a single family, Aplocheilidae, a well-established name, chosen for its stability in usage over time, and to avoid the impact of a new name at the family rank for a popular aquarium fish group.^[3] Under this proposal, the Aplocheilidae includes three subfamilies: Aplocheilinae for the species from Asia, Madagascar and the Seychelles; Cynolebiinae (called Rivulidae above) for the species from the Americas; and Nothobranchiinae for the species from the African mainland.^[5]