Beryciformes is an order of ray-finned fishes. This is a very poorly understood group of 16 families, 57 genera, and about 219 species. Some people believe that it is probably an artificial assemblage of unrelated taxa that are thrown together for convenience only; there are no convincing characteristics that tie all members together. Most species live in deep marine waters, and avoid bright light, although they may come closer to the surface at night.

Classification

The order contains seven families:

• Suborder Berycoidei
  • Berycidae
    Berycidae
    The Berycidae is a small family of deep sea fishes, related to the squirrelfishes. The family includes the alfonsinos and the nannygais.Berycids are found in both temperate and tropical waters around the world, between in depth, though mainly greater than . They are typically red in colour, and...
    
     -- alfonsinos, nannygais
• Suborder Holocentroidei
  • Holocentridae
    Holocentridae
    The Holocentridae is a family of ray-finned fish, belonging to the order Beryciformes with the members of the subfamily Holocentrinae typically known as squirrelfish, while the members of Myripristinae typically are known as soldierfish...
    
      -- soldierfishes, squirrelfishes
• Suborder Trachichthyoidei
  • Anomalopidae  -- flashlight fishes, lanterneye fishes
  • Anoplogastridae  -- fangtooth fishes, fangtooths
  • Diretmidae  -- spinyfins
  • Monocentridae
    Monocentridae
    Pinecone fishes are small and unusual beryciform marine fish of the family Monocentridae. The family contains just four species in two genera, one of which is monotypic. Their distribution is limited to tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific...
    
      -- pineconefishes, pineapple fishes
  • Trachichthyidae -- redfishes, roughies, slime heads