Overview
The Zeiformes are a small 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.
Zeiform bodies are usually thin and deep. Mouths are large, with distensible jaws, and there is no orbitosphenoid]. Pelvic fins have 5-10 soft rays and possibly a spine, 5-10 dorsal fin spines and up to 4 anal fin spines. They range in size from Macrurocyttus acanthopodus, at 43 millimetres (1.7 in) in length, to the Cape dory, which measures up to 90 centimetres (35 in).1]
The classification of the boarfishes (Caproidae) in this order is uncertain, since they have many perciform characters, for instance in the caudal skeleton.
Photos
Taxonomy
The Order Zeiformes is further organized into finer groupings including:
- Family (9): Caproidae · Cyttidae · Grammicolepididae · Macrurocyttidae · Oreosomatidae · Parazenidae · Zeidae · Zenionidae · Zeniontidae
- Species: ZipcodeZoo has pages for 77 species and subspecies in the Order Zeiformes.
Families
Caproidae
Boarfishes are a small family, Caproidae, of fishes comprising two genera and twelve species. They are usually placed in the order Zeiformes with the dories, but this placement is uncertain, since boarfishes have many perciform characters, for instance in the caudal skeleton. Boarfishes are native to the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans. [more]
Cyttidae
Cyttidae is a of large, showy, deep-bodied zeiform marine fish. Found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Ocean, the family contains just three species in the single genus Cyttus. [more]
Grammicolepididae
Grammicolepididae is a small family of deep-sea fishes, called tinselfishes due to their silvery color. [more]
Macrurocyttidae
Oreosomatidae
The Oreos are a , the Oreosomatidae, of marine fish. Most species are found in the southern hemisphere, inhabiting continental slopes down to about 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) depth. [more]
Parazenidae
Zeidae
The Zeidae (named after , the supreme god of Greek mythology) are a family of large, showy, deep-bodied zeiform marine fish—the "true dories". Found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Ocean, the family contains just six species in two genera. All species are important and highly-regarded food fish supporting commercial fisheries, and some—such as the John dory (Zeus faber)—are enjoyed in large public aquaria. These fish are caught primarily via deep-sea trawling. [more]
Zenionidae
The Zenionidae are a of large, showy, deep-bodied zeiform marine fish. Found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Ocean, the family contains just seven species in three genera. [more]
Zeniontidae
The Zenionidae are a of large, showy, deep-bodied zeiform marine fish. Found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Ocean, the family contains just seven species in three genera. [more]
More info about the Family Zeniontidae may be found here.
References
- ^ a b Karrer, C. & John, H-C. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N.. ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 165–167. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.
Sources
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