• 4 families, 28 genera, 218 species • Large (1-3 m) Elopomorpha • All freshwater Osteoglossiformes Hiodontiformes (not shown) • Physostomous • suprabranchial organ • ‘bony tongues’ Teleostei • Elongate – 60-100 vertebrae •Ctenoid, cycloid or ganoid scales •Lack paired gular plate & most lack any gular plate • 2 major lineages •Branchiostegal rays present •Homocercal caudal fin – 1) Osteoglossidae – arrowana, •Lack spiral valve in intestine arapaima, butterflyfish
– 2) Notopteridae, Mormyridae - knifefishes, elephantfishes
Order Osteoglossiformes Order Osteoglossiformes
• Group also includes knifefishes, elephantfishes, mooneyes
• Knifefish (featherbacks) –
knifefishes • Elephant fishes – • Gondwana origin, current African, South American and Australian distribution
elephant fishes
1 Order Hiodontiformes • Closely related to Osteoglossiformes (former member of group)
Osteoglossiformes Hiodontiformes (not shown) Clupeiformes
• Nocturnal, only rods in retina Teleostei •Ctenoid, cycloid or ganoid scales •Lack paired gular plate & most lack any gular plate •Branchiostegal rays present •Homocercal caudal fin •Lack spiral valve in intestine
Order Clupeiformes Order Clupeiformes, Family Clupeidae • 5 families, 84 genera, 364 species • Usually have abdominal scutes – swimbladder/ear connection • Compressed body – Pelvic scute • Subterminal mouth • Teeth small or absent
• Prominent families: Clupeidae, Engraulidae Dorosoma petenense Alosa alabamae
Harengula jaguana Dorosoma cepedianum
2 Order Clupeiformes, Family Engraulidae Clupeimorph “FRTing”
• Hyomandibular well in front of quadrate
• Mostly marine, Atlantic, Indian, Pacific • Planktivores
Alepocephaliformes, slickheads and tubeshoulders • 3 families, 14 genera and 38 species • Deep sea
• Uniform dark bodies Alepocephaliformes • Reduced ossification of opercle Teleostei •Ctenoid, cycloid or ganoid scales •Lack paired gular plate & most lack any gular plate •Branchiostegal rays present •Homocercal caudal fin •Lack spiral valve in intestine
3 Subdivision Euteleostei, Superorder Ostariophysi Anotophysi, Order Gonorhynchiformes, milkfish, sandfish and shelleaters • 5 Orders, 59 families, 960 genera, 6507 species • 75% of freshwater species, 27% of all species • 4 families, 7 genera, 37 families • Found on all landmasses (except Greenland & Antarctica) • No Weberian apparatus • Characteristics • Mostly marine – club cells in dermis • Single short dorsal and anal fin, no adipose fin – trend of increasing development of olfactory system • Some obligate air breathers – 2 series: Anotophysi & Otophysi – • Clear pelagic larvae – Larvae not leptocephalus • Patch of conical teeth on gill arches Anotophysi: Gonorhynchiformes - milkfishes Otophysi: Cypriniformes - minnows Gymnotiformes – weakly electric fishes Characiformes – tetras, characins Siluriformes - catfish
Otophysi Pharyngeal Jaws/Teeth
•Orders • Pharyngeal Arch or Jaw •Cypriniformes – Second distinct (from the •Characiformes oral) jaw •Siluriformes •Gymnotiformes – Modified from portions of •Characters the remaining bronchial •Weberian apparatus arches •Most have adipose fin •Schreckstoff (other taxa possible)
4 Otophysi, Order Cypriniformes, minnows, carps and suckers Otophysi, Order Cypriniformes, Family Cyprinidae, minnows and carp • 6 families, 321 genera, 3268 species • 2420 species, 220 genera • North America & Europe • Mouth toothless (jaws and palate) • All freshwater • Pharyngeal teeth • No adipose fin • 1-3 rows pharyngeal teeth, <10 • Spinelike ray in dorsal fin teeth/row • Oviparous • Omnivores, detritivores, few piscivores • North America: 1-2 rows, <5 teeth/row
• Spinelike ray in dorsal fin
Otophysi, Order Cypriniformes, Family Cyprinidae, minnows and carp Otophysi, Order Cypriniformes, Family Cyprinidae, minnows and carp
5 Order Cypriniformes, Family Catastomidae, Suckers Order Cypriniformes, Family Cobitade, loaches
• 75 species, 13 genera • 3-6 pairs barbels, subterminal mouth • MS – 20 species, 6 genera • 1 row of >16 pharyngeal teeth • Erectable spine
• Weather loaches
Order Cypriniformes, Family Balitoridae, river loaches Otophysi, Order Characiformes, characins • 251 species in 31 genera • 18 families, 270 genera, 1674 species • freshwater • South & Central America, Mexico, Africa • Southern and eastern Asia • Well developed jaw teeth
• Oviparous, no parental care • Omnivores, detritivores, some carnivores
6 Otophysi, Order Characiformes, Family Gasteropelecidae, freshwater Otophysi, Order Characiformes, Family Prochilodontidae hatchetfish
• Mouth forms suckerlike disc • Compressed body • Important detritivore, tropical ecosystem engineer • Superior mouth • Protruding breast • Surface feeders, superior mouth • Large pectoral fins
Otophysi, Order Characiformes, Family Characidae, characins Characidae – Mississippi Exotics • Largest family of Characiformes, ~1000 species • One North American species
• Ecologically important Piaractus brachypomus Pirapitinga
Colossoma macropomum Tambaqui
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