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Beryciformes

(Order)

Overview

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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.[1]

Classification

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The order contains seven families:[2]

Timeline of genera

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ey may come closer to the surface at night.[1]

Classification

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The order contains seven families:[2]

Timeline of genera

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References

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  1. ^ Paxton, John R. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N.. ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 160?163. ISBN 0-12-547665-5. 
  2. ^ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2008). "Beryciformes" in FishBase. November 2008 version.

External links

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Taxonomy

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The Order Beryciformes is further organized into finer groupings including:

Families

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Aipichthyidae

[more]

Anomalopidae

The flashlight fish are a family, the Anomalopidae, of beryciform fish. There are some unrelated fish with similar features, some of which are also called flashlight fish. Notable among these are the deep sea lanternfish, of the family Myctophidae, of which there are over 200 species. [more]

Anoplogasteridae

Fangtooths are beryciform fish of the family Anoplogastridae (sometimes spelled "Anoplogasteridae") that live in the deep sea. The name is from Greek anoplo meaning "unarmed" and gaster meaning "stomach". With a circumglobal distribution in tropical and cold-temperate waters, the family contains only two very similar species, in one genus, with no known close relatives: the common fangtooth, Anoplogaster cornuta, found worldwide; and the shorthorned fangtooth, Anoplogaster brachycera, found in the tropical waters of the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. [more]

Anoplogastridae

Fangtooths are beryciform fish of the family Anoplogastridae (sometimes spelled "Anoplogasteridae") that live in the deep sea. The name is from Greek anoplo meaning "unarmed" and gaster meaning "stomach". With a circumglobal distribution in tropical and cold-temperate waters, the family contains only two very similar species, in one genus, with no known close relatives: the common fangtooth, Anoplogaster cornuta, found worldwide; and the shorthorned fangtooth, Anoplogaster brachycera, found in the tropical waters of the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. [more]

Araripichthyidae

[more]

Barbourisiidae

The velvet whalefish, Barbourisia rufa, is a deep-sea whalefish, the sole known member of its family Barbourisiidae. It is found throughout the tropical and temperate parts of the world's oceans, mainly in the Pacific near Japan and New Zealand, at depths of 300 to 2,000 m. This species seems very closely related to some flabby whalefishes and it was initially believed to belong into that family by some. They have been found from 65?N to 40?S in the Atlantic, 50?N to 50?S in the Pacific, and 5?20?S in the Indian Ocean. [more]

Berycidae

The Berycidae is a small family of deep sea fishes, related to the squirrelfishes. The family includes the alfonsinos and the nannygais. [more]

Cetomimidae

Flabby whalefishes are small, deep-sea cetomimiform fish of the family Cetomimidae. They are among the most deep-living fish known, with some species recorded at depths in excess of 3.5 kilometres. Within the family are nine genera and 20 species. Juveniles are known as tapetails and were formerly thought to be in a separate family, dubbed Mirapinnidae. Adults exhibit extreme sexual dimorphism, and the adult males were once thought to be exemplars of still another family, Megalomycteridae. [more]

Dinopterygidae

[more]

Diretmidae

Spinyfins are a family, Diretmidae, of beryciform fishes. The name is from Greek, di meaning "two" and eretmos meaning "oar". They are found worldwide in deep waters, down to as much as 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). [more]

Gibberichthyidae

Gibberichthyidae, also known as Gibberfishes, are a type of living, vertebrata fish. This fish carries an IUCN Red List status of "Not Evaluated". [more]

Hispidoberycidae

[more]

Holocentridae

The Holocentridae is a family of ray-finned fish, belonging to the order Beryciformes with the members of the subfamily Holocentrinae typically known as squirrelfish, while the members of Myripristinae typically are known as soldierfish. In Hawaii they are known as menpachi. [more]

Megalomycteridae

Flabby whalefishes are small, deep-sea cetomimiform fish of the family Cetomimidae. They are among the most deep-living fish known, with some species recorded at depths in excess of 3.5 kilometres. Within the family are nine genera and 20 species. Juveniles are known as tapetails and were formerly thought to be in a separate family, dubbed Mirapinnidae. Adults exhibit extreme sexual dimorphism, and the adult males were once thought to be exemplars of still another family, Megalomycteridae. [more]

Melamphaidae

Ridgeheads, also known as bigscales, are a family (Melamphaidae, from the Greek melanos [black] and amphi [by both sides]) of small, deep-sea stephanoberyciform fish. The family contains approximately 37 species in five genera; their distribution is worldwide, but ridgeheads are absent from the Arctic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Although the family is one of the most widespread and plentiful of deep-sea families, none of its members are of interest to commercial fishery. [more]

Mirapinnidae

Flabby whalefishes are small, deep-sea cetomimiform fish of the family Cetomimidae. They are among the most deep-living fish known, with some species recorded at depths in excess of 3.5 kilometres. Within the family are nine genera and 20 species. Juveniles are known as tapetails and were formerly thought to be in a separate family, dubbed Mirapinnidae. Adults exhibit extreme sexual dimorphism, and the adult males were once thought to be exemplars of still another family, Megalomycteridae. [more]

Monocentridae

Pinecone fishes are small and unusual beryciform marine fish of the family Monocentridae. The family contains just four species in two genera, one of which is monotypic. Their distribution is limited to tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific. Pinecone fishes are popular subjects of public aquaria, but are both expensive and considered a challenge for the hobbyist to maintain. [more]

Monocentrididae

[more]

Pharmacichthyidae

[more]

Pycnosteroididae

[more]

Rondeletiidae

The redmouth whalefishes are two species of deep-sea whalefishes in the genus Rondeletia, the only genus in the family Rondeletiidae. They are apparently close to the velvet whalefish (Barbourisia rufa), and apparently also to the gibberfishes (Gibberichthyidae). The latter and the Rondeletiidae are the only known living fishes which have the mysterious . [more]

Stephanoberycidae

Pricklefishes are a family, Stephanoberycidae, of fishes in the order Stephanoberyciformes. [more]

Stichocentridae

[more]

Trachichthyidae

Slimeheads, also known as roughies and redfish, are mostly small, exceptionally long-lived, deep-sea beryciform fish constituting the family Trachichthyidae (derived from the Greek trachys ["rough"] and ichthys ["fish"]). Found in temperate to tropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Ocean, the family comprises approximately 45 species in eight genera. Slimeheads are named for the network of muciferous canals riddling their heads. [more]

At least 73 species and subspecies belong to the Family Trachichthyidae.

More info about the Family Trachichthyidae may be found here.

References

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  1. ^ Paxton, John R. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N.. ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 160?163. ISBN 0-12-547665-5. 
  2. ^ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2008). "Beryciformes" in FishBase. November 2008 version.

Sources

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Last Revised: August 24, 2012
2012/08/24 13:09:27