Order Osteoglossiformes
- Arawans, Elephantfishes and relatives
- Elongated body
- Teeth on "tongue bones"
- Fewer than 16 rays in dorsal fin
- The most primitive of the teleost fishes
- 218 species; fresh water, mostly in Africa
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Silver Arowana, Osteoglossum bicirrhosum (Family Osteoglossidae)
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Peter's Elephantfish, Gnathonemus petersii (Family Mormyridae)
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African Knifefish, Xenomystus nigri (Family Notopteridae)
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Lycoptera sp. fossil (Family Lycopteridae†); Early Cretaceous, China
Osteoglossiformes have an extensive fossil record and were common during the Mesozoic Era
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Xiphactinus audax fossil; late Cretaceous of North America;
An extinct 5m long fish usually placed in closely related order Ichthyodectiformes†
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Xiphactinus audax model
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Order Anguilliformes
- True Eels
- Greatly elongated snake-like body
- Lack pelvic fins and often lack pectoral fins
- Dorsal & anal fins contiguous with caudal fin: tail pointed
- Scales deeply imbedded or absent
- ≈800 mostly marine species
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Green Moray Eel, Gymnothorax funebris (Family Muraenidae)
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Splendid Garden Eels, Gorgasia preclara (Family Congridae)
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Spotted Garden Eel, Heteroconger hassi (Family Congridae)
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Order Clupeiformes
- Shad, herring, sardines
- Generalized bodies
- Usually have silvery bodies
- Lack lateral lines
- 364 species; pelagic; feed on plankton
- Many are commercially valuable
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Pacific Sardines, Sardinops sagax (Family Clupeidae)
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Knightia oecana fossil (Family Clupeidae); an extinct freshwater herring from the Eocene of WY (48 mya)
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Order Cypriniformes
- Minnows, carp, loaches
- Lack adipose fin
- No scales on head
- Diverse body forms
- ≈3300 species; fresh waters, mostly in Northern Hemisphere
- Taxonomic note: This and the following 2 orders (Characiformes and Siluriformes) constitute most of a monophyletic clade (the Ostariophysi) of mostly fresh water fish
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Common Carp, Cyprinus carpio (Family Cyprinidae), breeding aggregation; PA
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Robust Redhorse, Moxostoma robustum (Family Catostomidae)
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Borneo Sucker, Gastromyzon borneensis (Family Balitoridae)
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Rosyside Dace, Clinostomus funduloides (Family Cyprinidae)
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White Cloud Mountain Minnow, Tanichthys albonubes (Family Cyprinidae)
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Order Characiformes
- Characins, Tetras, Piranha
- Laterally compressed, fusiform bodies
- Adipose fin present
- Diurnal: generally silvery or colorful and with large eyes
- ≈1700 species; fresh waters of Latin America, Africa
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African Red-eyed Tetra, Arnoldichthys spilopterus (Family Alestidae)
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Common Hatchetfish, Gasteropelecus sternicla (Family Gasteropelecidae)
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Pristella Tetra, Pristella maxillaris (Family Characidae)
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Neon Tetra, Paracheirodon innesi (Family Characidae)
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Red-bellied Piranha, Pygocentrus nattereri (Family Serrasalmidae)
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Payara, Hydrolycus scomberoides (Family Cynodontidae)
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Order Siluriformes
- Catfishes
- Skin scaleless or with bony plates
- Flattened head, broad mouth
- Mouth surrounded by 1-4 pairs of barbels ("whiskers")
- Eyes small: nocturnal or in murky water
- ≈2900 species; worldwide mostly in fresh water
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Channel Catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Family Ictaluridae)
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Amazon Sailfin Pleco, Pterygoplichthys pardalis (Family Loricariidae)
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Three-lined Cory, Corydoras trilineatus (Family Callichthyidae)
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Shovel-nosed Catfish, Sorubim lima (Family Pimelodidae)
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Glass Catfish, Kryptopterus bicirrhis (Family Siluridae)
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Electric Catfish, Malapterurus electricus (Family Malapteruridae)
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(Order Salmoniformes)
- Salmon & trout
- Mostly fairly large size
- Scales usually very fine
- 66 species; in northern hemisphere rivers (some anadramous)
- Some species commercially valuable
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Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Family Salmonidae)
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Brook Trout, Salvelinus fontinalis (Family Salmonidae)
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Brown Trout, Salmo trutta (Family Salmonidae)
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(Order Lophiiformes)
- Frogfish, batfish, anglerfish
- In most, dorsal spine modified into lure
- In some, pectoral fins modified for walking
- Odd appearance, often cryptically shaped & colored
- 313 benthic marine species, mostly in deep water
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Frogfish, Antennarius sp. (Family Antennariidae)
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Pacific Footballfish, Himantolophus sagamius, preserved specimen (Family Himantolophidae)
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
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(Order Beloniformes)
- Dorsal and anal fin similar in size and close to tail
- Several distinctive families, including:
Needlefishes have very long jaws
Flying fishes have greatly enlarged pectoral fins for gliding above the water
- 227 species, pelagic in both marine and fresh water
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Needle-nosed Garfish, Xenentodon cancila (Family Belonidae), preserved specimen
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Flying Fish, Cypselurus sp. (Family Exocoetidae), preserved specimen
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Order Cyprinodontiformes
- Top-minnows, live-bearers, killifishes
- Small size (< 15 cm)
- Pelvic fins usually absent
- Rounded caudal fin
- Some have internal fertilization and are viviparous
- Males of some have a gonopodium (modified anal fin for mating)
- ≈1000 mostly fresh-water species
- Many occur in harsh environments (brackish marshes, hot springs, isolated pools) unsuitable for other fish
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Black Molly, Poecilia sphenops (Family Poeciliidae)
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Western Mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis (Family Poeciliidae)
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Rivuline Killifish, Rivulus sp.? (Family Rivulidae)
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Order Syngnathiformes
- Pipefishes, seahorses, seamoths
- Atypically shaped, usually elongated
- Body armored with various plates
- Small mouth, usually at end of long snout
- 264 species in shallow marine waters
- Taxonomic note: sometimes placed with sticklebacks in the order Gasterosteiformes
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Pacific Seahorse, Hippocampus ingens (Family Syngnathidae)
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Leafy Sea Dragon, Phycodurus eques (Family Syngnathidae)
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Razorfish, Aeoliscus strigatus (Family Centriscidae)
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Yellow-banded Pipefish, Syngnathoides biaculeatus (Family Syngnathidae)
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Longspine Snipefish, Macroramphosus scolopax (Family Centriscidae)
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Long-tailed Seamoth, Pegasus volitans (Family Pegasidae)
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Order Scorpaeniformes
- Rockfish, lionfish, Sculpins, etc.
- Large-headed
- Large, rounded pectoral and dorsal fins
- Have either numerous spines or armor plates
- ≈1500 bottom-dwelling, mostly marine species
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Lionfish, Pterois sp. (Family Scorpaenidae)
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Stone Scorpionfish, Scorpaena mystes (Family Scorpaenidae)
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China Rockfish, Sebastes nebulosus (Family Sebastidae)
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Grunt Sculpin, Rhamphocottus richardsoni (Family Cottidae)
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Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker, Eumicrotremus orbis (Family Cyclopteridae)
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Tidepool Sculpin, Oligocottus maculosus (Family Cottidae); CA
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Order Perciformes
- Diverse with varied shapes
- Typically are moderately elongate and deep-bodied
- Typically have double or 2-part dorsal fin
- Lack adipose fin
- Pelvic fins positioned close to pectoral fins (or absent)
- Typically have relatively large eyes and mouth
- Ctenoid scales
- Most species-rich order of vertebrates: ≈10,000 species
- Includes majority of fishes associated with coral reefs
- Taxonomic Note: relationships uncertain; likely to be paraphyletic or polyphyletic
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Rainbow Runners, Elagatis bipinnulata (Family Carangidae)
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Lookdown, Selene vomer (Family Carangidae)
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Dwarf Gourami, Colisa lalia (Family Belontiidae)
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Zebra Goby, Lythrypnus zebra (Family Gobiidae)
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Kelpfish, Gibbonsia sp. (Family Clinidae)
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Great Barracuda, Sphyraena barracuda (Family Sphyraenidae)
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Clarion Angelfish, Holacanthus clarionensis (Family Pomacanthidae)
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Angelfish, Pterophyllum scalare (Family Cichlidae)
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Banggai Cardinalfish, Pterapogon kauderni (Family Apogonidae)
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Order Pleuronectiformes
- Flatfishes, flounders
- Body greatly flattened laterally
- Lay on one side on ocean bottom
- One eye moves to opposite side of face
- Dorsal, anal, & caudal fins almost completely surround body
- ≈700 species of predominantly benthic marine fishes
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Starry Flounder, Platichthys stellatus (Family Pleuronectidae)
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Sanddab, Citharichthys sp. (Family Paralichthyidae)
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Fan-tailed Sole, Xystreurys liolepis (Family Bothidae)
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Order Tetraodontiformes
- Puffers, triggerfish, etc.
- Non-streamlined, bulky shape
- Slow (ostraciform) swimmers
- Hard, powerful jaw with beak-like teeth
- Most specialize on hard or spiny prey
- 357 species; mostly tropical marine
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Pacific Boxfish, Ostracion meleagris (Family Ostraciidae)
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Clown Triggerfish, Balistoides conspicillum (Family Balistidae)
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Figure-8 Puffer, Tetraodon biocellatus (Family Tetraodontidae)
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