ICHTHYOLOGY LAB TAXONOMY
SECTION THREE
ORDERS
SUBORDERS
FAMILIES
SILURIFORMES. (catfishes, knifefishes ± 2266 spp) *Subopercular and intermuscular bones absent. *Adipose fin usually presents *Spines often present at the front of the dorsal and pectoral fins.
GYMNOTOIDEI (knifefishes) *Body eellike, compressed or rounded *Dorsal and pelvic fins absent *Anal fin extremately long.
ELECTROPHORIDAE (electric knifefish, 1sp) *Scales absent *Anal fin continuing to the tip of the tail *Large electric organs producing lethal charges for killing preys.
SALMONIFORMES. (Salmon, smelts, ± 320 spp) *Maxilla included in gape of mouth *Almost all are freshwater species *Few species occur in tropical regions.
SALMONOIDEI *Adipose fin present
SALMONIDAE (salmonids, ±68 species* Fresh water and anadromous *North Hemisphere *Maximal length up to 1.5 m *Gill membranes extending far forward.
ESOCOIFORMES. (Pikes, mudminnows, ± 10 spp) *No adipose fin * Maxilla toohless but in gape of mouth *dorsal and anal fins located posteriorly.
ESOCIDAE (pikes, 5 species) * Caudal fin forked,with 40 to 50 rays *lateral line complete *nasals present *Maximum length 1.4 meters.
AULOPIFORMES. (Aulops, lizardfish, pearleyes, green eyes, etc. ± 188 spp) * Second pharyngobranchial greatly enlongated posterolaterally, an unique specialization in the gill arches among teleost
SYNODONTIDAE (lizardfishes, ±39 spp) *Supramaxilla small or absent *In general, 12-26 branchiostegal rays *Scales along lateral line not enlarged *Adipose fin usually present.
GADIFORMES. (Cods, hakes, rattails, etc. ± 414 spp) *Pelvic fins, when present, inserted below or in front of pectorals with up to 17 rays *No true spines in the fins *Most with long dorsal and anal fins *Cicloid scales *Swimming bladder without pneumatic duct.
MACROURIDAE (grenadiers or rattails, ± 260 species* Second dorsal and anal fins continuos with tail *No true fin spines *Chin barbel usually present *Pelvic fins more o less thoracic *Small scales *Most species benthopelagic (200 –2000 meters deep)
GADIDAE (cods, ±55 species) * First dorsal posterior to the head *Swinm bladder not connected with auditory capsules *Three dorsal fins and two anal fins usually *chin barbel usually present.
BATRACHOIDIFORMES. (toadfish, Midshipmen, ± 69 spp) * Body usually scaleless *Head large with eyes more dorsal than lateral *mouth large and bordered by premaxilla and maxilla *Pelvic fin jugular with one or two spine or three soft rays *Some species can produce audible sounds with the swim bladder and can live out of water for several hours.
LOPHIIFORMES. (Anglerfish, goosefish, frogfish. ± 265 spp) *First ray of the spinous dorsal, if present, on head and transformed into illicium (line and bait) *Pelvic fins, if present, in front of pectorals and one spine.
LOPHIIDAE (goosefish ± 25 spp) *Marine *Huge, wide, flattened head *Teeth well developed *The movable “fish pole” device has a flap of flesh at its tip which acts like a flag.
ANTENNARIIDAE (frogfish ± 60 spp) *Marine-pelagic species *Body cover with loose skin, naked or with denticles *First three dorsal spines separated *Gill opening below base of pectoral. *Prehensile pectoral fins used for moving on algal mats.
OGCOCEPHALIDAE (batfish ± 57 spp) *Marine, tropical and subtropical seas *Body usually much depressed and flattened ventrally *Short illicium (pole and bait) *Mouth nearly horizontal *Well developed tuberclelike scales *They walk on the bottom on their large armlike pectoral fins and small pelvic fins.
GOBIESOCIFORMES. (Clingfish, singleslits, ± 114 spp). *Pelvic fins usually present and modified into a sucking disc. *Spinous dorsal fin absent. *Head and body scaleless. *No circumorbital bones behind the lacrimal *Genital papilla behind anus *No swim bladder *Most of the species in shalowwater areas.
GOBIESOCIDAE. (Clingfish ±110 spp). *The sucking disc with underlying pelvic bones specialized for supporting disc. *Each pelvic fin with one small spine. *Single doral fin without spines. *Small species in general, 7cm.
ATHERINIFORMES. (Silversides, rainbowfish ± 235 spp). *Usually two dorsal fins, the first, if present, with flexible spines * Anal fin usually preceded by a spine *lateral line absent o very weak.
ATHERINIDAE. (silversides, ± 160 spp). *Two widely separated dorsal fins. *No lateral line *Brad silver lateral band. *Pelvic fins usually abdominal *Scales relative large.
CYPRINODONTIFORMES. (Killifish, goodeids, four-eyes, livebearers. ± 670 spp) *Lateral line chiefly on head, not on body *Pelvic fins present or absent. Upper jaw bordered by premaxilla only. *Males often brightly colored.
POECILIIDAE (livebearers ± 60 spp) *Freshwater species in America *First three anal rays unbranched. *Male with enlongated anterior anal fin rays*Bear young alive.*Ctenoid scales.
BELONIFORMES. (Flyingfish, halfbeaks, needlefish, sauries, ricefish, etc. ± 160 spp). *Lateral line low in body *Elongate lower jaw at least in some stage of like history *Dorsal, anal and pelvic fins placed far back on body. *Caudal fin usualluy with 13 branched rays.
BELONIDAE. (needlefish, ± 32 spp). *Scales small. *Mouth opening large. *Both upper and lower jaws elongate with numerous needlelike teeth. *Some species are capable of high jump out of water.
BERYCIFORMES. (Pineconefish, squirrelfish, slimehead, lantereye fish, etc. ± 164 spp). *Mucous cavities on head usually well developed. *17 branched caudal rays. *pelvic fins, when present, usually with more than five soft rays..
ANOMALOPIDAE. (Lantereye fish, 4 spp). *Light organ beneath eye with rotational andshutter mechanism for controlling light emossion *Pelvic fin with one spine *dorsal fin with 2-6 spines.
HOLOCENTRIDAE. (Squirrelfish, ±61 spp). *Pelvic fin with one spine and usually seven soft rays. *Long dorsal fin with spiny proportion (10-13 spines) and soft rayed portion divided by a notch. *Caudal fin forked with 18-19 principal rays. *Large ctenoid scales.
GASTEROSTEIFORMES. (Sticklebacks, pipefish, sand eel, tubesnouts, seamoth, trumpfish, seahorse, etc. ± 275 spp). *Upper jaw protractile, *ascending process of premaxilla well developed. *Circumorbital bones fused with lacrimal *Mouth small.
PEGASIDAE. (seamoth ±5spp). *Body broad and depressed, encased in bony plates. *Mouth small and toothless. *Long flattened rostrum formed by fused nasal bones. *Unusual mechanism for protusion of the jaws. *Tufted and lobelike gill filaments. *Opercle and subopercule minute, preopercule greatly enlarged. *Pectoral fin relative large, no swin bladder.
SYNGNATHIDAE. (Seahorse, pipefish ± 230 spp). *Body enlongated and encased in a serires of bony rings. *One dorsal fin. *Anal fin very small. *The dorsal, anal and pectoral fins may be absent in adults of some species. *No pelvic fins, with caudal fin absent in some species. *Gill opening very small.
SCORPAENIFORMES. (Scorpionfish, sculpins, rockfish, velvetfish, racehorse, searobins, etc. ± 1160 spp). *Head and body tend to be spiny or heavy bone plates. *Pectoral fins usually rounded. *Caudal fin usually rounded.
SCORPAENIDAE. (Scorpionfish, rockfish ± 310spp). *Body compressed. *Head usually with ridges and spines. *Scales when present, usually ctenoids. *Pelvic fin with one spine. *Anal fin usually with three spines. *Drosal fin usually singles with 11-17 spines and 8-18 rays. *Venon gland in dorsal, anal and pelvic spines.
TRIGLIDAE. (Searobin,± 86 spp). *Two separated dorsal fins. *Casquelike, bony head. *Lower two or three pectoral rays enlarged and free, used for detecting food. *Benthic habitat, marine tropical and template areas. *Produce sound with swin bladdler.
DACTYLOPTERIDAE. (Flying gurnards ± 4 spp). *Large, blunt, bony head. *Body covered with scutelike scales. *Tremoendously enlarged pectoral fins with inner rays free. *Two free spines before the dorsal fins. Pelvic fins thoracic, each with one spine and four soft rays. *Marine benthic they “walk” on the sea floor and produce sounds by stridulation by utilizing the hyomandibular bone.
COTTIDAE. (Sculpin, ± 300 spp). *Body often appears naked, commonly with scales or prickles. *Large eyes placed high on the head. *Lateral line present. *Pelvic fin with one spine. *No spines in the anal fin.
PERCIFORMES. (± 10,000 species). *Familes in the suborders are basically similar and are not defineable in terms of common shared derived characters.
PERCOIDEI. (± 3600 spp). *This suborder contains many highly colorful fishes. *This is probably the basal evolutionary group from which the other perciform groups.
SERRANIDAE. (Sea bass ± 370 spp). *Opercle with three spines. *Scales usually ctenoids (few species cicloids). *Lateral line complete and cotinuos. *Dorsal fin continuos w/notched. *Three spines in anal fin. *Caudal fin rounded and trucate or lunate. *Maxilla exposed.
PERCIDAE. (Perches ± 160 spp). *Two dorsal fins. *One or two anal spines. *Pelvic fins thoracic with one spine/5 soft rays. *Premaxilla protractile or non.
APOGONIDAE. (Cardinalfish ± 192 spp). *Marine. *Two separated dorsal fins, the first with 6-8 spines, the second with one. *Anal fin with two spines. *Ctenoid scales usually present.
MALACANTHIDAE. (Tilefish ± 34 spp). *Dorsal fin relative long with spines and rays. * Anal fin relative long with1-2 weak spines. *Single opercular spine. *Caudal fin truncate or semiforked.
LUTJANIDAE. (Snappers ± 185 spp). *Marine. *Dorsal fin continous or with a shallow notch with 10-12 spines. *Anal fin with 3 spines and 7-11 soft rays. *Pelvic fins inserted just behind pectoral base. *Mouth terminal. *Enlarge canine teeth.