Perciformes

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Perciformes
Yellow perch (Perca flavescens)
Yellow perch (Perca flavescens)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Families

many, see text

Perciformes ("perch-like") is the most diverse order of ray-finned fish and include about forty percent of all species of bony fish, making it also the largest order of vertebrates. With over 10,000 known species, placed in about 1,500 genera and 160 families, Perciformes is the most prolific group of vertebrates in the ocean and also are dominant in many freshwater habitats. Also called Percomorphi or Acanthopteri, this taxonomic group includes the familiar perches, basses, sunfishes, bluefishes, remoras, jacks and pompanos, snappers, drums (croakers), angelfishes, cichlids, mackerels, tunas, gobies, groupers, and swordfishes.

Classification is unsettled **

Overview and description

Characiformes belong to the Actinopterygii, a major taxonomic class (or subclass) of fish, known as the "ray-finned fishes," within which 96 percent of all fish species are placed. In turn, the Actinopterygii are

Osteichthyes, known as the bony fish, are a taxonomic class (or superclass) of fish and the largest class of vertebrates in existence today. With over 26,000 species, they comprise over 95 percent of all fish species. The Osteichthyes include the ray-finned fish (subclass or class Actinopterygii) and lobe finned fish (subclass or class Sarcopterygii).
Actinopterygii, is a major taxonomic class (or subclass) of fish, known as the "ray-finned fishes," whose diverse number of species includes about half of all known living vertebrates and 96 percent of all fish species.


The name Perciformes means perch-like. They belong to the ray-finned fish and comprise over 7000 different species, with varying shapes and sizes, found in almost all aquatic environments. They are also the most variably sized order of vertebrates, ranging from the 7mm (0.3 in) Schindleria brevipinguis to the 5m (16.5 ft) large Makaira species. They first appeared and diversified in the Late Cretaceous. Perciform fish typically have dorsal and anal fins divided into anterior spiny and posterior soft-rayed portions, which may be partially or completely separated. There are usually pelvic fins with one spine and up to five soft rays, either positioned by the throat or under the belly. Scales are usually ctenoid in form, though sometimes they are cycloid or otherwise modified. Various other, more technical characters define the group.

Classification is controversial. As traditionally defined the Perciformes are almost certainly paraphyletic. Other orders that should possibly be included as suborders are the Scorpaeniformes, Tetraodontiformes, and Pleuronectiformes. Of the presently recognized suborders several may be paraphyletic as well.

Families

These are grouped by suborder/superfamily, generally following Fishes of the World.

  • Suborder Percoidei
    • Superfamily Percoidea
      • Acropomatidae (temperate ocean-basses)
      • Ambassidae (Asiatic glassfishes)
      • Apogonidae (cardinalfishes)
      • Arripidae (Australasian salmon)
      • Banjosidae
      • Bathyclupeidae
      • Bramidae (pomfrets)
      • Callanthiidae
      • Carangidae (jacks, pompanos)
      • Caristiidae (manefishes)
      • Centracanthidae
      • Centrarchidae (freshwater sunfishes)
      • Centropomidae (snooks)
      • Chaetodontidae (butterflyfishes)
      • Coryphaenidae (dolphinfishes)
      • Dichistiidae (galjoen fishes)
      • Dinolestidae (long-finned pike)
      • Dinopercidae
      • Drepaneidae
      • Echeneidae (remoras)
      • Emmelichthyidae (rovers)
      • Enoplosidae (oldwife)
      • Epigonidae (deepwater cardinalfishes)
      • Gerreidae (mojarras)
      • Glaucosomatidae (pearl perches)
      • Grammatidae (basslets)
      • Haemulidae (grunts)
      • Howellidae (oceanic basslets)
      • Inermiidae (bonnetmouths)
      • Kuhliidae (flagtails or aholeholes)
      • Kyphosidae (sea chubs)
      • Lactariidae (false trevallies)
      • Lateolabracidae
      • Leiognathidae (ponyfishes)
      • Leptobramidae (beachsalmon)
      • Lethrinidae
      • Lobotidae (tripletails)
      • Lutjanidae (snappers, fusiliers)
      • Malacanthidae (Tilefishes)
      • Menidae (moonfish)
      • Monodactylidae (moonyfishes)
      • Moronidae (temperate basses)
      • Mullidae (goatfishes)
      • Nandidae (leaffishes)
      • Nematistiidae (roosterfish)
      • Nemipteridae (threadfin breams)
      • Notograptidae
      • Opistognathidae (jawfishes)
      • Oplegnathidae (knifejaws)
      • Ostracoberycidae
      • Pempheridae (sweepers)
      • Pentacerotidae (armorheads)
      • Percichthyidae (Temperate perches)
      • Percidae (perches and darters)
      • Plesiopidae
      • Polycentridae
      • Polynemidae (threadfins)
      • Polyprionidae (wreckfishes)
      • Pomacanthidae (angelfishes)
      • Pomatomidae (bluefishes)
      • Priacanthidae (bigeyes, catalufas)
      • Pseudochromidae (dottybacks)
      • Rachycentridae (cobia)
      • Sciaenidae (drums)
      • Scombropidae (gnomefish)
      • Serranidae (sea basses, groupers)
      • Sillaginidae (whitings et al)
      • Sparidae (porgies)
      • Terapontidae (grunters or tigerperches)
      • Toxotidae (archerfishes)
    • Superfamily Cirrhitoidea
      • Aplodactylidae (marblefishes)
      • Cheilodactylidae (morwongs)
      • Chironemidae (kelpfishes)
      • Cirrhitidae (hawkfishes)
      • Latridae (trumpeters)
    • Superfamily Cepoloidea
      • Cepolidae (bandfishes)
  • Suborder Elassomatoidei
    • Elassomatidae (pygmy sunfishes)
  • Suborder Labroidei
    • Cichlidae (cichlids)
    • Embiotocidae (surfperches)
    • Labridae (wrasses)
    • Odacidae
    • Pomacentridae (damselfishes)
    • Scaridae (parrotfishes)
  • Suborder Zoarcoidei
    • Anarhichadidae
    • Bathymasteridae (ronquils)
    • Cryptacanthodidae
    • Pholidae
    • Ptilichthyidae
    • Scytalinidae
    • Stichaeidae (pricklebacks)
    • Zaproridae (prowfish)
    • Zoarcidae (eelpouts)
  • Suborder Notothenioidei (sometimes included in Percoidei)
    • Bathydraconidae
    • Bovichthyidae
    • Channichthyidae (crocodile icefishes)
    • Harpagiferidae (plunderfishes)
    • Nototheniidae (cod icefishes)
  • Suborder Trachinoidei
    • Ammodytidae (sand lances)
    • Champsodontidae
    • Cheimarrhichthyidae
    • Chiasmodontidae
    • Creediidae (sandburrowers)
    • Leptoscopidae
    • Percophidae (duckbills)
    • Pholidichthyidae (convict blenny)
    • Pinguipedidae (sandperches)
    • Trachinidae (weeverfishes)
    • Trichodontidae (sandfishes)
    • Trichonotidae (sanddivers)
    • Uranoscopidae (stargazers)
  • Suborder Blennioidei
    • Blenniidae
    • Chaenopsidae
    • Clinidae
    • Dactyloscopidae
    • Labrisomidae
    • Tripterygiidae
  • Suborder Icosteoidei
    • Icosteidae (ragfishes)
  • Suborder Gobiesocoidei
    • Gobiesocidae (clingfishes)
  • Suborder Callionymoidei
    • Callionymidae (dragonets)
    • Draconettidae
  • Suborder Gobioidei
    • Eleotridae (sleepers)
    • Gobiidae (gobies)
    • Kraemeriidae (sandfishes or sand gobies)
    • Microdesmidae (wormfishes)
    • Odontobutidae
    • Ptereleotridae (dartfishes)
    • Rhyacichthyidae (loach gobies)
    • Schindleriidae
    • Xenisthmidae
  • Suborder Kurtoidei
    • Kurtidae (nurseryfishes)
  • Suborder Acanthuroidei
    • Acanthuridae (surgeonfishes)
    • Ephippidae (spadefishes)
    • Luvaridae (louvar)
    • Scatophagidae (scats)
    • Siganidae (rabbitfishes)
    • Zanclidae (moorish idol)
  • Suborder Scombrolabracoidei
    • Scombrolabracidae
  • Suborder Scombroidei
  • Suborder Stromateoidei
    • Amarsipidae
    • Ariommatidae
    • Centrolophidae (medusafishes)
    • Nomeidae (driftfishes)
    • Tetragonuridae (squaretails)
    • Stromateidae (butterfishes)
  • Suborder Anabantoidei
    • Anabantidae (climbing gouramies)
    • Belontiidae (gouramies)
    • Helostomatidae (kissing gourami)
    • Luciocephalidae (pikehead)
    • Osphronemidae (giant gouramies)
  • Suborder Channoidei
    • Channidae (snakeheads)

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Agbayani, E.. 2005. Perciformes. FishBase. (R. Froese and D. Pauly, editors). Retrieved December 5, 2008.
  • Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). 2004. Perciformes ITIS Taxonomic Serial No.: 167640. Retrieved December 5, 2008.
  • Nelson, J. S. 2006. Fishes of the World, 4th edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0471250317.

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