Atlantirivulus is a subgenus within the genus Rivulus.

Atlantirivulus, subgenus erected by Costa (2008). Then Costa (2011) upgraded this subgenus into the full genus status which is not followed herein.

Costa assigned a number of taxa in his new genus, all from the area around Rio de Janeiro, Brazil concentrated in Coastal river drainages of eastern Brazil, between Una (about 10° S) and Lagoa do Peixe (about 31° S).

Included then 11 species which were: Atlantirivulus depressus (Costa, 1991), A. haraldsiolii (Berkenkamp, 1984), A. janeiroensis (Costa, 1991), A. jurubatibensis (Costa, 2008), A. lazzarotoi (Costa, 2007), A. luelingi (See- gers, 1984), A. nudiventris (Costa & Brasil, 1991), A. riograndensis (Costa & Lanés, 2009), A. santensis (Köhler, 1906), A. simplicis (Costa, 2004), A. unaensis (Costa & De Luca, 2009).

Costa, W.J.E.M., 2011. Phylogenetic position and taxonomic status of Anablepsoides, Atlantirivulus, Cynodonichthys, Laimosemion and Melanorivulus (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae). *Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters* 22 (3): 233-249.

After Costa's work a new paper was released by Huber (2012) in which Huber stated that the split by Costa was not well supported. Huber showed that, based on 144 external characters, the evidence that Rivulus was a monophyletic assemblage.

Huber J.H., 2012. Reappraisal of the Phylogeny of Rivulus and its Allied Focused on External Characters.

In this site we follow the latest evidence produced by Huber (2012) and recon the genus Rivulus as a monophyletic group.