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Actinopteri

(Infraclass)

Overview

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Actinopteri is the sister group of Cladistia. Dating back to the Permian period, the Actinopteri are comprise the Chondrostei (sturgeons and paddlefishes) and the Neopterygii (bowfin, gars, and teleosts). Modern actinopterygians generally feed using a suction mechanism, with the mouth parts forming a tube. Prey are drawn in, and then masticated for consumption. The Actinopterygii are the "ray-finned" fishes. The Actinopter group consists of the descendants of the most recent common ancestor of the sturgeons and teleoststains, and includes:

Taxonomy

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The Infraclass Actinopteri is a member of the Subclass Orthogastropoda. Here is the complete "parentage" of Actinopteri:

The Infraclass Actinopteri is further organized into finer groupings including:

Orders

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Acipenseriformes

Acipenseriformes () are an order of primitive ray-finned fishes that includes the sturgeons and paddlefishes, as well as some extinct families. [more]

Albuliformes

The bonefishes are a family (Albulidae) of ray-finned fish that are popular as game fish in Florida, select locations in the South Pacific, and the Bahamas (where two bonefish are featured on the 10 cent coin) and elsewhere. The family is small, with twelve species in two genera. [more]

Amiiformes

Amiiformes is an order of fish, of which only one species, the Bowfin, Amia calva, is still extant. [more]

Anguilliformes

Eels (Anguilliformes; ) are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and approximately 800 species. Most eels are predators. The term "eel" is also used for some other similarly shaped fish, such as electric eels and spiny eels, but these are not members of the Anguilliformes order. [more]

Aspidorhynchiformes

[more]

Ateleopodiformes

The jellynose fishes or tadpole fishes are the small order Ateleopodiformes. This group of ray-finned fish is monotypic, containing a single family Ateleopodidae. It has about one dozen species in four genera, but these enigmatic fishes are in need of taxonomic revision.  [more]

Atheriniformes

Atheriniformes, also known as the silversides, is an order of ray-finned fish that includes the Old World silversides and several less-familiar families, including the unusual Phallostethidae. They are found worldwide in tropical and temperate marine and freshwater environments. [more]

Aulopiformes

Aulopiformes is an order of marine ray-finned fish consisting of some 15 extant and several prehistoric families with about 45 genera and over 230 species. The common names grinners, lizardfishes and allies or aulopiforms are sometimes used for this group. The scientific name means "Aulopus-shaped", from (the type genus) + the standard fish order suffix "-formes". It ultimately derives from Ancient Greek aul?s (a????, "flute" or "pipe") + Latin forma ("external form"), the former in reference to the elongated shape of many Aulopiformes. [more]

Batrachoidiformes

Batrachoididae is the only family in the ray-finned fish order Batrachoidiformes. Fish in this family are usually called toadfish: both the English common name and scientific name refer to their toad-like appearance (batrakhos is Greek for frog). [more]

Beloniformes

The Beloniformes are an order of five families of freshwater and marine ray-finned fish: the Adrianichthyidae (ricefish and medakas); Belonidae (needlefish); Exocoetidae (flyingfishes); Hemiramphidae (halfbeaks); and the Scomberesocidae (sauries). With the exception of the Adrianichthyidae, these are streamlined, medium-sized fishes that live close to the surface of the water feeding on algae, plankton, or smaller animals including other fishes. Most are marine, though a few needlefish and halfbeaks inhabit brackish and fresh waters. [more]

Beryciformes

Beryciformes is an order of ray-finned fishes. This is a very poorly understood group of 16 families[], 57 genera, and about 219 species. Some people[who?] believe that it is probably an artificial assemblage of unrelated taxa that are thrown together for convenience only; there are no convincing characteristics that tie all members together. Most species live in deep marine waters, and avoid bright light, although they may come closer to the surface at night. [more]

Characiformes

The Characiformes are an order of ray-finned fish, comprising the characins and their allies. Grouped in 18 recognized families, there are a few thousand different species, including the well-known piranha and tetras. [more]

Clupeiformes

Clupeiformes is the order of ray-finned fish that includes the herring family, Clupeidae, and the anchovy family, Engraulidae. The group includes many of the most important food fish. [more]

Cypriniformes

The Cypriniformes are an order of ray-finned fish, including the carps, minnows, loaches and relatives. This order contains 5-6 families, over 320 genera, and more than 3,250 species, with new species being described every few months or so, and new genera being recognized regularly. They are most diverse in southeastern Asia, but are entirely absent from Australia and South America. [more]

Cyprinodontiformes

The Cyprinodontiformes () is an order of ray-finned fish, comprising mostly small, fresh-water fish. Many popular aquarium fish, such as killifish and live-bearers, are included. They are closely related to the Atheriniformes and are occasionally included with them. A colloquial term for the order as a whole is toothcarps, though they are not actually close relatives of the true carps ? the latter belong to the superorder Ostariophysi, while the toothcarps are Acanthopterygii. [more]

Dactylopteriformes

Dactylopteriformes is an order of bony fish. [more]

Elopiformes

Elopiformes () is the order of ray-finned fish that includes the tarpons, tenpounders, and ladyfish, as well as a number of extinct types. They have a long fossil record, easily distinguished from other fishes by the presence of an additional set of bones in the throat. [more]

Esociformes

Esociformes is a small order of ray-finned fish, with two families, the Umbridae (mudminnows) and the Esocidae (pikes). The pikes of genus Esox give the order its name. There are ten species ? five in each family. [more]

Gadiformes

Gadiformes is an order of ray-finned fish, also called the Anacanthini, that includes the cod and its allies. Many major food fish are in this order. They are found in marine waters throughout the world, and there are also a small number of freshwater species. [more]

Gasterosteiformes

Gasterosteiformes is an order of ray-finned fishes that includes the sticklebacks and relatives. [more]

Gobiesociformes

Clingfishes are fishes of the family Gobiesocidae. Most species are marine, being found in shallow waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. They are bottom-dwelling fishes; some species shelter in sea urchins or crinoids. [more]

Gonorynchiformes

Gonorynchiformes is an order of ray-finned fish that includes the important food source, the milkfish (Chanos chanos, family Chanidae), and a number of lesser-known types, both marine and freshwater. [more]

Gymnotiformes

The Gymnotiformes are a group of teleost bony fishes commonly known as the Neotropical or South American knifefishes. They have long bodies and swim using undulations of their elongated anal fin. Found exclusively in fresh water, these mostly nocturnal fishes are capable of producing electric fields for navigation, communication, and, in the case of the electric eel (Electrophorus electricus), attack and defense. A few species are familiar to the aquarium trade, such as the black ghost knifefish (Apteronotus albifrons), the glass knifefish (Eigenmannia virescens), and the banded knifefish (Gymnotus carapo). [more]

Hiodontiformes

[more]

Ichthyodectiformes

[more]

Ionoscopiformes

[more]

Lampriformes

Lampriformes is an order of ray-finned fish. They are collectively called "lamprids" (which is more properly used for the Lampridae) or lampriforms, and unite such open-ocean and partially deep-sea Teleostei as the crestfishes, oarfish, opahs and ribbonfishes. A synonym for this order is Allotriognathi, while an often-seen but apparently incorrect spelling variant is Lampridiformes. They contain 7 extant families which are generally small but highly distinct, and a mere 12 lampriforms genera with some 20 species altogether are recognized. [more]

Lepisosteiformes

In American English the name gar (or garpike) is strictly applied to members of the Lepisosteidae, a family including seven living species of fish in two genera that inhabit fresh, brackish, and occasionally marine, waters of eastern North America, Central America, and the Caribbean islands. [more]

Leptolepidiformes

[more]

Lophiiformes

Anglerfishes are members of the teleost order Lophiiformes (). They are bony fishes named for their characteristic mode of predation, wherein a fleshy growth from the fish's head (the esca or illicium) acts as a lure; this is considered analogous to angling. [more]

Lycopteriformes

[more]

Macrosemiiformes

[more]

Myctophiformes

Myctophiformes is an order of ray-finned fish consisting of two families of deep-sea marine fish, most notably the highly abundant lanternfishes (Myctophidae). The blackchins (Neoscopelidae) contain a handful of species in three genera, while the bulk of the family belongs to the Myctophidae, with over 30 genera and almost 250 species. [more]

Notacanthiformes

Notacanthiformes is an order of deep-sea ray-finned fishes, consisting of the families Halosauridae and Notacanthidae (spiny eels) [more]

Ophidiiformes

Ophidiiformes is an order of ray-finned fish that includes the cusk eels (family Ophidiidae), pearlfishes (family Carapidae), brotulas (family Bythitidae), and others. [more]

Osteoglossiformes

Osteoglossiformes (Gk. "bony tongues") is a relatively primitive order of ray-finned fish that contains two sub-orders, the Osteoglossoidei and the Notopteroidei. All of the living species inhabit freshwater. They are found in South America, Africa, Australia and southern Asia, having first evolved in Gondwana before that continent broke up. [more]

Pachycormiformes

[more]

Palaeonisciformes

[more]

Parasemionotiformes

[more]

Perciformes

Perciformes, also called the Percomorphi or Acanthopteri, is one of the largest orders of vertebrates, containing about 40% of all bony fish. Perciformes means "perch-like". They belong to the class of ray-finned fish, and comprise over 7,000 species found in almost all aquatic environments. It contains about 155 families, which is the most of any order within the vertebrates. They are also the most variably sized order of vertebrates, ranging from the 7 millimeters (0.28 in) Schindleria brevipinguis to the 5 meters (16 ft) Makaira species. They first appeared and diversified in the Late Cretaceous. Among well-known members of this group are cichlids, sunfish/bluegill, damselfish, bass, and, of course, perch. [more]

Percopsiformes

Percopsiformes is a small order of ray-finned fish, comprising the trout-perch and its allies. It contains just nine species, grouped into three families. [more]

Platysomiformes

[more]

Pleuronectiformes

The flatfish are an order (Pleuronectiformes) of ray-finned demersal fish, also called the Heterosomata, sometimes classified as a suborder of Perciformes. In many species, both eyes lie on one side of the head, one or the other migrating through and around the head during development. Some species face their left side upward, some face their right side upward, and others face either side upward. [more]

Polymixiiformes

The beardfishes are a small family (Polymixiidae) of deep-sea marine ray-finned fish named for their pair of long hyoid barbels. They have little economic importance. [more]

Pycnodontiformes

[more]

Redfieldiformes

[more]

Saccopharyngiformes

Saccopharyngiformes is an order of unusual ray-finned fish superficially similar to eels, but with many internal differences. Most of the fish in this order are deep-sea types known from only a handful of specimens such as the Umbrella Mouth Gulper Eel. Saccopharyngiformes are also bioluminescent in several species. Some, such as the swallowers, can live as deep as 10,000 feet (3,000 m) in the ocean, well into the aphotic zone. [more]

Salmoniformes

Salmonidae is a family of ray-finned fish, the only living family currently placed in the order Salmoniformes. It includes salmon, trout, chars, freshwater whitefishes and graylings. The Atlantic salmon and trout of genus Salmo give the family and order their names. [more]

Scorpaeniformes

Scorpaeniformes is an order of ray-finned fish, but it has also been called the Scleroparei. [more]

Semionotiformes

Semionotiformes ("flag-back form") is an order of primitive, ray-finned, primarily freshwater fish from the Triassic to the Cretaceous. The most well-known genus is Semionotus of Europe and North America. [more]

Siluriformes

Catfishes (order Siluriformes) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores (species that eat dead material on the bottom), and even to a tiny parasitic species commonly called the candiru, Vandellia cirrhosa. There are armour-plated types and also naked types, neither having scales. Despite their name, not all catfish have prominent barbels; members of the Siluriformes order are defined by features of the skull and swimbladder. Catfish are of considerable commercial importance; many of the larger species are farmed or fished for food. Many of the smaller species, particularly the genus Corydoras, are important in the aquarium hobby. Catfish are nocturnal. [more]

Stomiiformes

Stomiiformes is an order of deep-sea ray-finned fishes of very diverse morphology. It includes for example dragonfishes, lightfishes, loosejaws, marine hatchetfishes and viperfishes. The order contains 4 families (5 according to some authors) with more than 50 genera and almost 400 species. As usual for deep-sea fishes, there are few common names for species of the order, but the Stomiiformes as a whole are often called dragonfishes and allies or simply stomiiforms. [more]

Synbranchiformes

Synbranchiformes, often called swamp eels, is an order of ray-finned fishes that are eel-like but have spiny rays, indicating that they belong to the superorder Acanthopterygii. [more]

Syngnathiformes

Syngnathiformes is an order of ray-finned fishes that includes the pipefishes and seahorses. [more]

Tetraodontiformes

The Tetraodontiformes are an order of highly derived ray-finned fish, also called the Plectognathi. Sometimes these are classified as a suborder of the Perciformes. The Tetraodontiformes are represented by ten families and approximately 360 species overall; most are marine and dwell in and around tropical coral reefs, but a handful of species are found in freshwater streams and estuaries. They have no close relatives, and descend from a line of coral-dwelling species that emerged around 40 million years ago. [more]

Zeiformes

The Zeiformes are a small order of marine ray-finned fishes most notable for the dories, a group of common food fish. The order consists of about 40 species in seven families, mostly deep-sea types. [more]

At least 89 species and subspecies belong to the Order Zeiformes.

More info about the Order Zeiformes may be found here.

Sources

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Last Revised: August 24, 2012
2012/08/24 13:07:47