List of chordate orders
Encyclopedia
Class ActinopterygiiActinopterygiiThe Actinopterygii or ray-finned fishes constitute a class or sub-class of the bony fishes.The ray-finned fishes are so called because they possess lepidotrichia or "fin rays", their fins being webs of skin supported by bony or horny spines , as opposed to the fleshy, lobed fins that characterize...
(ray-finned fish)
- Subclass ChondrosteiChondrosteiChondrostei are primarily cartilaginous fish showing some ossification. There are 52 species divided among two orders, the Acipenseriformes and the Polypteriformes ....
- Polypteriformes, including the bichirBichirThe bichirs are a family, Polypteridae, of archaic-looking ray-finned fishes, the sole family in the order Polypteriformes.All species occur in freshwater habitats in tropical Africa and the Nile River system, mainly swampy, shallow floodplains and estuaries.-Anatomy and appearance:Bichirs are...
s and reedfishReedfishThe Reedfish, Erpetoichthys calabaricus, Ropefish , or Snakefish is a species of freshwater fish in the bichir family and order. It is the only member of the genus Erpetoichthys...
es - AcipenseriformesAcipenseriformesAcipenseriformes are an order of primitive ray-finned fishes that includes the sturgeons and paddlefishes, as well as some extinct families.Notable characteristics of Acipenseriformes include:* Cartilaginous endoskeleton* Lack of vertebral centrum...
, including the sturgeonSturgeonSturgeon is the common name used for some 26 species of fish in the family Acipenseridae, including the genera Acipenser, Huso, Scaphirhynchus and Pseudoscaphirhynchus. The term includes over 20 species commonly referred to as sturgeon and several closely related species that have distinct common...
s and paddlefishPaddlefishPaddlefish are primitive Chondrostean ray-finned fishes. The paddlefish can be distinguished by its large mouth and its elongated, spatula-like snout, called a rostrum, which is longer than the rest of the head...
es
- Polypteriformes, including the bichir
- Subclass NeopterygiiNeopterygiiNeopterygii is a group of Actinopteri animals. Neopterygii means "new fins". There are only few changes during their evolution from the earlier actinopterygians. They appeared somewhere in the Late Permian, before the time of the dinosaurs. The Neopterygii is a very successful group of fishes,...
- Infraclass HolosteiHolosteiHolostei are bony fish that show primitive characteristics. There are eight species divided among two orders, the Amiiformes represented by a single living species, the bowfin , and the Lepisosteiformes, the gars. There are more species to be found in the fossil record.Holostei share with other...
- Lepisosteiformes, the garGarIn American English the name gar is strictly applied to members of the Lepisosteidae, a family including seven living species of fish in two genera that inhabit fresh, brackish, and occasionally marine, waters of eastern North America, Central America, and the Caribbean islands.-Etymology:In...
s - AmiiformesAmiiformesAmiiformes is an order of fish, of which only one species, the Bowfin, Amia calva, is still extant.-Taxonomy:Amiiformes Hay 1929*Superfamily Amioidea Bonaparte 1838**Family Amiidae Bonaparte 1837***Subfamily Amiinae Bonaparte 1837...
, the bowfinBowfinThe Bowfin, Amia calva, is the last surviving member of the order Amiiformes , and of the family Amiidae...
s
- Lepisosteiformes, the gar
- Infraclass TeleosteiTeleosteiTeleostei is one of three infraclasses in class Actinopterygii, the ray-finned fishes. This diverse group, which arose in the Triassic period, includes 20,000 extant species in about 40 orders; most living fishes are members of this group...
- Superorder OsteoglossomorphaOsteoglossomorphaOsteoglossomorpha is a group of bony fish in the Teleostei.-Notable members:A notable member is the Arapaima , the largest freshwater fish in South America and one of the very largest bony fishes alive. Other notable members include the bizarre freshwater elephantfishes .-Systematics:Most...
- OsteoglossiformesOsteoglossiformesOsteoglossiformes is a relatively primitive order of ray-finned fish that contains two sub-orders, the Osteoglossoidei and the Notopteroidei. All of the living species inhabit freshwater...
, the bony-tongued fishes - HiodontiformesHiodontiformesHiodontiformes is a relatively new order of fish, consisting of the two living species of the mooneye family Hiodontidae and three genera of extinct types....
, including the mooneyeMooneyeThe mooneyes are a family, the Hiodontidae, of primitive ray-finned fish comprising two living and three extinct species in the genus Hiodon. They are large-eyed, fork-tailed fish that physically resemble shads. Their common name comes from the metallic gold or silver shine of their eyes.The higher...
and goldeyeGoldeyeThe goldeye, Hiodon alosoides, is a species of fish in the mooneye family . It occurs from as far down the Mackenzie River as Aklavik in the north to Mississippi in the south, and from Alberta in the west to Ohio south of the Great Lakes, with an isolated population south of James Bay. It is...
- Osteoglossiformes
- Superorder ElopomorphaElopomorphaThe superorder Elopomorpha contains a variety of types of fishes that range from typical silvery colored fish-like species such as the tarpons and ladyfishes of the Elopiformes and the bonefishes of the Albuliformes, to the long and slender, smooth bodied eels of the Anguilliformes...
- ElopiformesElopiformesElopiformes is the order of ray-finned fish that includes the tarpons, tenpounders, and ladyfish, as well as a number of extinct types. They have a long fossil record, easily distinguished from other fishes by the presence of an additional set of bones in the throat.They are related to the order...
, including the ladyfishes and tarponTarponTarpons are large fish of the genus Megalops. There are two species of Megalops, one native to the Atlantic, and the other to the Indo-Pacific oceans.They are the only members of the family Megalopidae.- Species and habitats :... - AlbuliformesBonefishThe bonefish is the type species of the Albulidae family, or bonefishes in order Albuliformes. It is amphidromous, living in inshore tropical waters, moving onto shallow mudflats to feed with the incoming tide, and retreating to deeper water as the tide ebbs...
, the bonefishes - NotacanthiformesNotacanthiformesNotacanthiformes is an order of deep-sea ray-finned fishes, consisting of the families Halosauridae and Notacanthidae The order is of relatively recent vintage; Fishes of the World lists it as a suborder Notacanthoidei of Albuliformes...
, including the halosaurs and spiny eelSpiny eelThe name spiny eel is used to describe members of two different families of fish: the freshwater Mastacembelidae of Asia and Africa, and the marine Notacanthidae. Both are so-named because of their eel-like shape and sturdy fin spines....
s - Anguilliformes, the true eelEelEels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and approximately 800 species. Most eels are predators...
s and gulpers - SaccopharyngiformesSaccopharyngiformesSaccopharyngiformes is an order of unusual ray-finned fish superficially similar to eels, but with many internal differences. Most of the fish in this order are deep-sea types known from only a handful of specimens such as the Umbrella Mouth Gulper Eel. Saccopharyngiformes are also bioluminescent...
, including the gulper eel
- Elopiformes
- Superorder Clupeomorpha
- ClupeiformesClupeiformesClupeiformes is the order of ray-finned fish that includes the herring family, Clupeidae, and the anchovy family, Engraulidae. The group includes many of the most important food fish....
, including herringHerringHerring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
s and anchoviesAnchovyAnchovies are a family of small, common salt-water forage fish. There are 144 species in 17 genera, found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Anchovies are usually classified as an oily fish.-Description:...
- Clupeiformes
- Superorder OstariophysiOstariophysiOstariophysi is the second-largest superorder of fish. Members of this superorder are called ostariophysians. This diverse group contains almost 8,000 species, about 28% of known fish species in the world and 68% of freshwater species, and are present on all major continents except Antarctica...
- GonorynchiformesGonorynchiformesGonorynchiformes is an order of ray-finned fish that includes the important food source, the milkfish , and a number of lesser-known types, both marine and freshwater....
, including the milkfishMilkfishThe milkfish is the sole living species in the family Chanidae. - Description and biology :...
es - CypriniformesCypriniformesThe Cypriniformes are an order of ray-finned fish, including the carps, minnows, loaches and relatives. This order contains 5-6 families, over 320 genera, and more than 3,250 species, with new species being described every few months or so, and new genera being recognized regularly...
, including barbs, carpCarpCarp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
, danios, goldfishGoldfishThe goldfish is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It was one of the earliest fish to be domesticated, and is one of the most commonly kept aquarium fish....
es, loachesLoach (fish)Cobitidae is the family of the true loaches, which are Old World freshwater fish. They occur throughout Eurasia and in Morocco, and inhabit riverine ecosystems. Today, most "loaches" are placed in other families...
, minnowMinnowMinnow is a general term used to refer to small freshwater and saltwater fish, especially those used as bait fish or for fishing bait. More specifically, it refers to small freshwater fish of the carp family.-True minnows:...
s, rasboraRasboraA rasbora is a member of a group of small minnow-type fish in the family Cyprinidae . Fish from genera such as Boraras, Microrasbora, Rasbora and Trigonostigma are commonly referred to as rasboras...
s - CharaciformesCharaciformesThe Characiformes are an order of ray-finned fish, comprising the characins and their allies. Grouped in 18 recognized families, there are a few thousand different species, including the well-known piranha and tetras.-Taxonomy:...
, including characins, pencilfishes, hatchetfishHatchetfishThe name hatchetfish may refer to two unrelated groups of fishes:*Marine hatchetfishes, small deep-sea bioluminescent fishes of the family Sternoptychidae, subfamily Sternoptychinae....
es, piranhaPiranhaA piranha or piraña is a member of family Characidae in order Characiformes, an omnivorous freshwater fish that inhabits South American rivers. In Venezuela, they are called caribes...
s, tetraTetrathumb|right|250px|Pristella tetra — [[Pristella maxillaris]].thumb|right|250px|Golden Pristella tetra, a [[morph |morph]] of [[Pristella maxillaris]].thumb|right|250px|[[Silvertip tetra]] — Hasemania nana....
s. - GymnotiformesGymnotiformesThe Gymnotiformes are a group of teleost bony fishes commonly known as the Neotropical or South American knifefishes. They have long bodies and swim using undulations of their elongated anal fin...
, including electric eelElectric eelThe electric eel , is an electric fish, and the only species of the genus Electrophorus. It is capable of generating powerful electric shocks, of up to six hundred volts, which it uses for both hunting and self-defense. It is an apex predator in its South American range...
s and knifefishKnifefishKnifefish may refer to several knife-shaped fishes:* The Neotropical or weakly electric knifefishes, order Gymnotiformes, containing five families:** Family Gymnotidae ** Family Rhamphichthyidae...
es - Siluriformes, the catfishCatfishCatfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
es
- Gonorynchiformes
- Superorder ProtacanthopterygiiProtacanthopterygiiProtacanthopterygii is a ray-finned fish taxon ranked as a superorder of the infraclass Teleostei. They inhabit both marine and freshwater habitat...
- Order Salmoniformes, including salmonSalmonSalmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
and troutTroutTrout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water... - EsociformesEsociformesEsociformes is a small order of ray-finned fish, with two families, the Umbridae and the Esocidae . The pikes of genus Esox give the order its name. There are ten species — five in each family....
the pikeEsoxEsox is a genus of freshwater fish, the only living genus in the family Esocidae — the esocids which were endemic to North America, Europe and Eurasia during the Paleogene through present.The type species is E. lucius, the northern pike... - OsmeriformesOsmeriformesOsmeriformes is an order of ray-finned fish that includes the true or freshwater smelts and allies, such as the galaxiids and noodlefishes; they are also collectively called osmeriforms. They belong to the teleost superorder Protacanthopterygii, which also includes pike and salmon, among others...
, including the smelts and galaxiidGalaxiidThe Galaxiidae, also known by the anglicised name as galaxiids, are a family of mostly small freshwater fish in the southern hemisphere. The majority of species live in Australia or New Zealand, some are also found in South Africa, South America, Lord Howe Island, New Caledonia and the Falkland...
s
- Order Salmoniformes, including salmon
- Superorder StenopterygiiStenopterygiiStenopterygii are a superorder of ray-finned fish in the infraclass Teleostei. Their validity is somewhat doubtful, as the group was established to separate, out of a large group of closely related Teleostei, a mere two rather peculiarly autapomorphic orders at best...
- Ateleopodiformes, the jellynose fishJellynose fishThe jellynose fishes or tadpole fishes are the small order Ateleopodiformes. This group of ray-finned fish is monotypic, containing a single family Ateleopodidae...
- StomiiformesStomiiformesStomiiformes is an order of deep-sea ray-finned fishes of very diverse morphology. It includes for example dragonfishes, lightfishes, loosejaws, marine hatchetfishes and viperfishes. The order contains 4 families with more than 50 genera and almost 400 species...
, including the bristlemouths and marine hatchetfishMarine hatchetfishMarine hatchetfishes or deep-sea hatchetfishes are small deep-sea mesopelagic ray-finned fish of the stomiiform subfamily Sternoptychinae...
es
- Ateleopodiformes, the jellynose fish
- Superorder Cyclosquamata
- AulopiformesAulopiformesAulopiformes is an order of marine ray-finned fish consisting of some 15 extant and several prehistoric families with about 45 genera and over 230 species. The common names grinners, lizardfishes and allies or aulopiforms are sometimes used for this group...
, including the Bombay duckBombay duckThe Bombay duck or bummalo is, despite its name, not a duck but a lizardfish. It is native to the waters between Mumbai and Kutch in the Arabian Sea, and a small number are also found in the Bay of Bengal. Great numbers are also caught in the South China Sea...
and lancetfishLancetfishLancetfishes are large oceanic predatory fishes in the genus Alepisaurus , the only living genus in the family Alepisauridae....
es
- Aulopiformes
- Superorder Scopelomorpha
- MyctophiformesMyctophiformesMyctophiformes is an order of ray-finned fish consisting of two families of deep-sea marine fish, most notably the highly abundant lanternfishes...
, including the lanternfishLanternfishCooper Lanternfishes are small mesopelagic fish of the large family Myctophidae. One of two families in the order Myctophiformes, the Myctophidae are represented by 246 species in 33 genera, and are found in oceans worldwide. They are aptly named after their conspicuous use of bioluminescence...
es
- Myctophiformes
- Superorder Lampridiomorpha
- LampriformesLampriformesLampriformes is an order of ray-finned fish. They are collectively called "lamprids" or lampriforms, and unite such open-ocean and partially deep-sea Teleostei as the crestfishes, oarfish, opahs and ribbonfishes...
, including the oarfishOarfishOarfish are large, greatly elongated, pelagic Lampriform fishes comprising the small family Regalecidae. Found in all temperate to tropical oceans yet rarely seen, the oarfish family contains four species in two genera...
, opahOpahOpah are large, colorful, deep-bodied pelagic Lampriform fish comprising the small family Lampridae . There are only two living species in a single genus: Lampris...
and ribbonfishes
- Lampriformes
- Superorder Polymyxiomorpha
- Polymixiiformes, the beardfishBeardfishThe beardfishes are a small family of deep-sea marine ray-finned fish named for their pair of long hyoid barbels. They have little economic importance....
es
- Polymixiiformes, the beardfish
- Superorder ParacanthopterygiiParacanthopterygiiParacanthopterygii is a superorder of fishes. Members of this superorder are called paracanthopterygians.It includes five orders:* Percopsiformes * Batrachoidiformes * Lophiiformes...
- PercopsiformesPercopsiformesPercopsiformes is a small order of ray-finned fish, comprising the trout-perch and its allies. It contains just nine species, grouped into three families....
, including the cavefishes and trout-perches - Batrachoidiformes, the toadfishes
- Lophiiformes, including the anglerfishAnglerfishAnglerfishes are members of the teleost order Lophiiformes . They are bony fishes named for their characteristic mode of predation, wherein a fleshy growth from the fish's head acts as a lure; this is considered analogous to angling.Some anglerfishes are pelagic , while others are benthic...
es - GadiformesGadiformesGadiformes is an order of ray-finned fish, also called the Anacanthini, that includes the cod and its allies. Many major food fish are in this order. They are found in marine waters throughout the world, and there are also a small number of freshwater species.Common characteristics include the...
, including codCodCod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
s - OphidiiformesOphidiiformesOphidiiformes is an order of ray-finned fish that includes the cusk eels , pearlfishes , brotulas , and others....
, including the pearlfishPearlfishPearlfish is a general name for a variety of marine fish species in the Carapidae family. Pearlfish have been found in tropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans at depths up to along oceanic shelves and slopes....
es
- Percopsiformes
- Superorder AcanthopterygiiAcanthopterygiiAcanthopterygii is a superorder of bony fishes in the class Actinopterygii. Members of this superorder are also known as the ray-finned fishes for the characteristic sharp, bony rays in their fins; however this name is also often given to the class Actinopterygii as a whole.Orders:* Order...
- Mugiliformes, the mulletsMullet (fish)The mullets or grey mullets are a family and order of ray-finned fish found worldwide in coastal temperate and tropical waters, and in some species in fresh water. Mullets have served as an important source of food in Mediterranean Europe since Roman times...
- AtheriniformesAtheriniformesAtheriniformes, also known as the silversides, is an order of ray-finned fish that includes the Old World silversides and several less-familiar families, including the unusual Phallostethidae...
, including silversidesSilverside (fish)The Old World silversides are a family, Atherinidae, of fish in the order Atheriniformes. They occur worldwide in tropical and temperate waters...
and rainbowfishRainbowfishThe rainbowfish are a family of small, colourful, freshwater fish that are found in northern and eastern Australia and New Guinea and in the Southeast Asian islands....
es - BeloniformesBeloniformesThe Beloniformes are an order of five families of freshwater and marine ray-finned fish: the Adrianichthyidae ; Belonidae ; Exocoetidae ; Hemiramphidae ; and the Scomberesocidae...
, including the flyingfishFlyingfishExocoetidae, is a family of marine fish in the order Beloniformes of class Actinopterygii. Fish of this family are known as flying fish. There are about 64 species grouped in seven to nine genera.- Etymology :...
es - CetomimiformesCetomimiformesThe Cetomimiformes or whalefishes are an order of small, deep-sea ray-finned fish. Some authorities include the whalefishes as part of the order Stephanoberyciformes, within the superfamily Cetomimoidea. Their sister order, the Beryciformes, includes the flashlight fish and squirrelfish.Within this...
, the whalefishes - CyprinodontiformesCyprinodontiformesThe Cyprinodontiformes is an order of ray-finned fish, comprising mostly small, fresh-water fish. Many popular aquarium fish, such as killifish and live-bearers, are included. They are closely related to the Atheriniformes and are occasionally included with them...
, including livebearersLive-bearing aquarium fishLive-bearing aquarium fish, often simply called livebearers, are fish that retain the eggs inside the body and give birth to live, free-swimming young.-Common aquarium livebearers:...
, killifishKillifishA killifish is any of various oviparous cyprinodontiform fish . Altogether, there are some 1270 different species of killifish, the biggest family being Rivulidae, containing more than 320 species...
es - StephanoberyciformesStephanoberyciformesThe Stephanoberyciformes are an order of marine ray-finned fishes, consisting of about 45 species, the majority of which belong to the ridgehead family . The Stephanoberyciformes are mostly uncommon deep-sea species with little, if any, importance to commercial fishery...
, including the ridgeheadRidgeheadRidgeheads, also known as bigscales, are a family of small, deep-sea stephanoberyciform fish. The family contains approximately 37 species in five genera; their distribution is worldwide, but ridgeheads are absent from the Arctic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea...
s - BeryciformesBeryciformesBeryciformes 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...
, including the fangtoothFangtoothFangtooths are beryciform fish of the family Anoplogastridae that live in the deep sea. The name is from Greek anoplo meaning "unarmed" and gaster meaning "stomach"...
s and pineconefishes - ZeiformesZeiformesThe Zeiformes are a small order of marine ray-finned fishes most notable for the dories, a group of common food fish. The order consists of about 40 species in seven families, mostly deep-sea types....
, including the doriesDory (fish)The common name dory is shared by members of several different families of large-eyed, silvery, deep-bodied, laterally compressed, and roughly discoid marine fish. As well as resembling each other, dories are also similar in habit: most are deep-sea and demersal... - Gobiesociformes, the clingfishes
- GasterosteiformesGasterosteiformesGasterosteiformes is an order of ray-finned fishes that includes the sticklebacks and relatives.In the Gasterosteiformes, the pelvic girdle is never attached to the cleithra directly, and the supramaxillary, orbitosphenoid, and basisphenoid bones are absent. The body is often partly or completely...
including sticklebackSticklebackThe Gasterosteidae are a family of fish including the sticklebacks. FishBase currently recognises sixteen species in the family, grouped in five genera. However several of the species have a number of recognised subspecies, and the taxonomy of the family is thought to be in need of revision...
s, pipefishPipefishPipefishes or pipe-fishes are a subfamily of small fishes, which, together with the seahorses, form the family Syngnathidae.-Anatomy:...
es, seahorses - SyngnathiformesSyngnathiformesSyngnathiformes is an order of ray-finned fishes that includes the pipefishes and seahorses.These fishes have elongate, narrow, bodies surrounded by a series of bony rings, and small, tubular mouths. Several groups live among seaweed and swim with the body aligned vertically, to blend in with the...
, including the seahorses and pipefishPipefishPipefishes or pipe-fishes are a subfamily of small fishes, which, together with the seahorses, form the family Syngnathidae.-Anatomy:...
es - SynbranchiformesSynbranchiformesSynbranchiformes, often called swamp eels, is an order of ray-finned fishes that are eel-like but have spiny rays, indicating that they belong to the superorder Acanthopterygii.-Taxonomy:...
, including the swamp eelSwamp eelThe swamp eels are a family of freshwater eel-like fishes of the worldwide tropics.-Description:...
s - TetraodontiformesTetraodontiformesThe Tetraodontiformes are an order of highly derived ray-finned fish, also called the Plectognathi. Sometimes these are classified as a suborder of the Perciformes...
, including the filefishFilefishFilefish are tropical to subtropical tetraodontiform marine fish of the diverse family Monacanthidae. Found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, the filefish family contains approximately 107 species in 26 genera...
es and pufferfishPufferfishTetraodontidae is a family of primarily marine and estuarine fish of the Tetraodontiformes order. The family includes many familiar species which are variously called pufferfish, balloonfish, blowfish, bubblefish, globefish, swellfish, toadfish, toadies, honey toads, sugar toads, and sea squab... - Pleuronectiformes, the flatfishFlatfishThe flatfish are an order of ray-finned fish, also called the Heterosomata, sometimes classified as a suborder of Perciformes. In many species, both eyes lie on one side of the head, one or the other migrating through and around the head during development...
es - ScorpaeniformesScorpaeniformesScorpaeniformes is an order of ray-finned fish, but it has also been called the Scleroparei.They are known as "mail-cheeked" fishes due to their distinguishing characteristic, the suborbital stay: a backwards extension of the third circumorbital bone across the cheek to the preoperculum, to which...
, including scorpionfishScorpionfishScorpaenidae, the scorpionfish, are a family of mostly marine fish that includes many of the world's most venomous species. As the name suggests, scorpionfish have a type of "sting" in the form of sharp spines coated with venomous mucus. The family is a large one, with hundreds of members. They are...
es and the sculpinSculpinA Sculpin is a fish that belongs to the order Scorpaeniformes, suborder Cottoidei and superfamily Cottoidea, that contains 11 families, 149 genera, and 756 species...
s - PerciformesPerciformesThe Perciformes, also called the Percomorphi or Acanthopteri, is one of the largest orders of vertebrates, containing about 40% of all bony fish. Perciformes means perch-like. They belong to the class of ray-finned fish and comprise over 7,000 species found in almost all aquatic environments...
40% of all fish including anabantids, CentrarchidsCentrarchidaeThe sunfishes are a family of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the order Perciformes. The type genus is Centrarchus . The family's 27 species includes many fishes familiar to North Americans, including the rock bass, largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, and crappies...
(incl. bassBass (fish)Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
and sunfish), CichlidCichlidCichlids are fishes from the family Cichlidae in the order Perciformes. Cichlids are members of a group known as the Labroidei along with the wrasses , damselfish , and surfperches . This family is both large and diverse. At least 1,300 species have been scientifically described, making it one of...
s, gobies, gouramiGouramiGouramis are a family, Osphronemidae, of freshwater perciform fishes. The fish are native to Asia, from Pakistan and India to the Malay Archipelago and north-easterly towards Korea. The name "gourami" is also used for fish of the families Helostomatidae and Anabantidae. "Gouramis" is an example of...
s, mackerelMackerelMackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of fish, mostly, but not exclusively, from the family Scombridae. They may be found in all tropical and temperate seas. Most live offshore in the oceanic environment but a few, like the Spanish mackerel , enter bays and can be...
, perchPerchPerch is a common name for fish of the genus Perca, freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which there are three species in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the Greek perke meaning spotted, and the...
es, scatsScatophagidaeThe scats are a small family, Scatophagidae, of fishes in the order Perciformes.They are small fish native to the Indian and western Pacific Ocean that have been popular in the aquarium trade in the last 30 years...
, whiting, wrasses
- Mugiliformes, the mullets
- Superorder Osteoglossomorpha
- Infraclass Holostei
Class Amphibia (amphibians)
- Urodela or Caudata (salamanders)
- Anura (frogs and toads)
- Gymnophiona or Apoda (caecilians)
Class AscidiaceaAscidiaceaAscidiacea is a class in the Tunicata subphylum of sac-like marine invertebrate filter feeders. Ascidians are characterized by a tough outer "tunic" made of the polysaccharide tunicin, as compared to other tunicates which are less rigid.Ascidians are found all over the world, usually in shallow...
(ascideans and sessile tunicates)
- EnterogonaEnterogonaEnterogona is an order of tunicates in the class Ascidiacea. It describes a group of marine animals....
- PleurogonaPleurogonaPleurogona is an order of tunicates. One of the more invasive species of this order is the "stalked sea squirt" Styela clava . Another invasive genus include the "chain sea squirts or chain tunicates" of the genus Botrylloides and the "golden star tunicate" Botryllus schlosseri ....
- AspiraculataAspiraculataAspiraculata is an order of sea squirts in the class Sorberacea. It is the only order in the class, and includes only one family, the Hexacrobylidae....
Class Aves (birds)
- Superorder Palaeognathae
- Struthioniformes, Ostrich, emus, kiwis, and allies
- Tinamiformes, tinamous
- Infraclass NeognathaeNeognathaeNeognaths are birds within the subclass Neornithes of the class Aves. The Neognathae include virtually all living birds; their sister taxon Palaeognathae contains the tinamous and the flightless ratites....
- Superorder Galloanserae (fowl)
- AnseriformesAnseriformesThe order Anseriformes contains about 150 living species of birds in three extant families: the Anhimidae , Anseranatidae , and the Anatidae, which includes over 140 species of waterfowl, among them the ducks, geese, and swans.All species in the order are highly adapted for an aquatic existence at...
, waterfowl - GalliformesGalliformesGalliformes are an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding domestic or game bird, containing turkey, grouse, chicken, New and Old World Quail, ptarmigan, partridge, pheasant, and the Cracidae. Common names are gamefowl or gamebirds, landfowl, gallinaceous birds or galliforms...
, fowl
- Anseriformes
- Superorder Neoaves
- Sphenisciformes, penguins
- GaviiformesGaviiformesGaviiformes is an order of aquatic birds containing the loons or divers and their closest extinct relatives. Modern gaviiformes are found in many parts of North America and northern Eurasia , though prehistoric species were more widespread.-Classification and evolution:There are five living...
, loons - Podicipediformes, grebes
- ProcellariiformesProcellariiformesProcellariiformes is an order of seabirds that comprises four families: the albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, storm petrels, and diving petrels...
, albatrosses, petrels, and allies - PelecaniformesPelecaniformesThe Pelecaniformes is a order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. As traditionally—but erroneously—defined, they encompass all birds that have feet with all four toes webbed. Hence, they were formerly also known by such names as totipalmates or steganopodes...
, pelicans and allies - CiconiiformesCiconiiformesTraditionally, the order Ciconiiformes has included a variety of large, long-legged wading birds with large bills: storks, herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills, and several others. Ciconiiformes are known from the Late Eocene...
, storks and allies - Phoenicopteriformes, flamingos
- AccipitriformesAccipitriformesThe Accipitriformes is an order that has been proposed to include most of the diurnal birds of prey: hawks, eagles, vultures, and many others, about 225 species in all. For a long time, the majority view has been to include them with the falcons in the Falconiformes, but some authorities have...
, eagles, hawks and allies (taxonomists have traditionally placed these groups in the Falconiformes) - FalconiformesFalconiformesThe order Falconiformes is a group of about 290 species of birds that comprises the diurnal birds of prey. Raptor classification is difficult and the order is treated in several ways.- Classification problems :...
, falcons - Turniciformes, button-quail
- Opisthocomiformes, Hoatzin (this enigmatic bird was traditionally treated as a family within either the Galliformes or Cuculiformes)
- GruiformesGruiformesThe Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like"....
, cranes and allies - CharadriiformesCharadriiformesCharadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...
, plovers and allies - Pterocliformes, sandgrouse (this enigmatic group was traditionally treated as a family in any of three different orders: Charadriiformes, Ciconiiformes, and Columbiformes)
- ColumbiformesColumbiformesColumbiformes are an avian order that includes the very widespread and successful doves and pigeons, classified in the family Columbidae, and the extinct Dodo and the Rodrigues Solitaire, long classified as a second family Raphidae. 313 species, found worldwide, comprise the Columbiformes order....
, doves and pigeons - Psittaciformes, parrots and allies
- CuculiformesCuculiformesThe near passerine bird order Cuculiformes traditionally included three families as below:* Musophagidae - turacos and allies* Cuculidae - cuckoos, coucals, roadrunners and anis* Opisthocomidae - Hoatzin...
, cuckoos - Strigiformes, owls
- CaprimulgiformesCaprimulgiformesThe Caprimulgiformes is an order of birds that includes a number of birds with global distribution . They are generally insectivorous and nocturnal...
, nightjars and allies - ApodiformesApodiformesTraditionally, the bird order Apodiformes contained three living families: the swifts , the tree swifts , and the hummingbirds . In the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this order is raised to a superorder Apodimorphae in which hummingbirds are separated as a new order, Trochiliformes...
, swifts - Coliiformes, mousebirds
- Trogoniformes, trogons
- CoraciiformesCoraciiformesThe Coraciiformes are a group of usually colorful near passerine birds including the kingfishers, the Hoopoe, the bee-eaters, the rollers, and the hornbills...
, kingfishers - Galbuliformes, jacamars and puffbirds (these groups were traditionally treated as families in the order Piciformes)
- PiciformesPiciformesNine families of largely arboreal birds make up the order Piciformes, the best-known of them being the Picidae, which includes the woodpeckers and close relatives...
, woodpeckers and allies - PasseriformesPasserineA passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
, passerines
- Superorder Galloanserae (fowl)
Class ChondrichthyesChondrichthyesChondrichthyes or cartilaginous fishes are jawed fish with paired fins, paired nares, scales, two-chambered hearts, and skeletons made of cartilage rather than bone...
(cartilaginous fish)
- Subclass ElasmobranchiiElasmobranchiiElasmobranchii is a subclass of Chondrichthyes or cartilaginous fish, that includes the sharks and the rays and skates .-Evolution:...
- Superorder BatoideaBatoideaBatoidea is a superorder of cartilaginous fish commonly known as rays and skates, containing more than 500 described species in thirteen families...
- RajiformesRajiformesRajiformes is one of the four orders of batoids, flattened cartilaginous fishes related to sharks.Rajiforms are distinguished by the presence of greatly enlarged pectoral fins, which reach as far forward as the sides of the head, with a generally flattened body. The undulatory pectoral fin motion...
: rays and skates - Pristiformes: sawfishes
- Torpediniformes: electric rays
- Rajiformes
- Superorder Selachimorpha (sharks)
- Heterodontiformes: bullhead sharks
- Orectolobiformes: carpet sharks
- CarcharhiniformesCarcharhiniformesThe ground sharks, order Carcharhiniformes, are the largest order of sharks. With over 270 species, carcharhiniforms include a number of common types, such as the blue shark, catsharks, swellsharks, and sandbar shark....
: ground sharks - LamniformesLamniformesLamniformes is an order of sharks commonly known as mackerel sharks . It includes some of the most familiar species of sharks, such as the great white shark, as well as more unusual representatives, such as the goblin shark and the megamouth shark.Members of the order are distinguished by...
: mackerel sharks - HexanchiformesHexanchiformesHexanchiformes is the order consisting of the most primitive types of sharks, and numbering just five extant species. Fossil sharks that were apparently very similar to modern sevengill species are known from Jurassic specimens....
: frilled and cow sharks - SqualiformesSqualiformesSqualiformes is an order of sharks that includes about 97 species in seven families.Members of the order have two dorsal fins, which usually possess spines, no anal fin or nictitating membrane, and five gill slits. In most other respects, however, they are quite variable in form and size...
: dogfish sharks - Squatiniformes: angel sharks
- Pristiophoriformes: saw sharks
- Superorder Batoidea
- Subclass HolocephaliHolocephaliThe subclass Holocephali is a taxon of cartilaginous fish, of which the order Chimaeriformes is the only surviving group.Holocephali has an extensive fossil record that starts during the Devonian period. However, most fossils are teeth, and the body forms of numerous species are not known, or, at...
- Chimaeriformes: chimaeras
Class MammalMammalMammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
ia (mammals)
- Subclass PrototheriaPrototheriaPrototheria is a taxonomic group, or taxon, to which the order Monotremata belongs. It is conventionally ranked as a subclass within the mammals.Most of the animals in this group are extinct...
- Monotremata: monotremes
- Subclass TheriaTheriaTheria is a subclass of mammals that give birth to live young without using a shelled egg, including both eutherians and metatherians . The only omitted extant mammal group is the egg-laying monotremes....
- Infraclass MarsupialMarsupialMarsupials are an infraclass of mammals, characterized by giving birth to relatively undeveloped young. Close to 70% of the 334 extant species occur in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands, with the remaining 100 found in the Americas, primarily in South America, but with thirteen in Central...
ia- DidelphimorphiaDidelphimorphiaOpossums make up the largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, including 103 or more species in 19 genera. They are also commonly called possums, though that term technically refers to Australian fauna of the suborder Phalangeriformes. The Virginia opossum was the first animal to be...
: opossums - Paucituberculata: rat opossums
- MicrobiotheriaMicrobiotheriaThe Monito del Monte is the only extant member of its family and the only surviving member of an ancient order, the Microbiotheria. The oldest microbiothere currently recognised is Khasia cordillerensis, based on fossil teeth from Early Palaeocene deposits at Tiupampa, Bolivia...
: Monito del Monte - DasyuromorphiaDasyuromorphiaThe order Dasyuromorphia comprises most of the Australian carnivorous marsupials, including quolls, dunnarts, the numbat, the Tasmanian devil, and the recently extinct thylacine...
: marsupial carnivores - PeramelemorphiaPeramelemorphiaThe order Peramelemorphia includes the bandicoots and bilbies: it equates approximately to the mainstream of marsupial omnivores...
: marsupial omnivores - Notoryctemorphia: marsupial moles
- DiprotodontiaDiprotodontiaDiprotodontia is a large order of about 120 marsupial mammals including the kangaroos, wallabies, possums, koala, wombats, and many others. Extinct diprotodonts include the rhinoceros-sized Diprotodon, and Thylacoleo, the so-called "marsupial lion"....
: marsupial herbivores; kangaroos, wallabies, possums and allies
- Didelphimorphia
- Infraclass EutheriaEutheriaEutheria is a group of mammals consisting of placental mammals plus all extinct mammals that are more closely related to living placentals than to living marsupials . They are distinguished from noneutherians by various features of the feet, ankles, jaws and teeth...
- Superorder AfrotheriaAfrotheriaAfrotheria is a clade of mammals, the living members of which belong to groups from Africa or of African origin: golden moles, sengis , tenrecs, aardvarks, hyraxes, elephants and sea cows. The common ancestry of these animals was not recognized until the late 1990s...
- AfrosoricidaAfrosoricidaThe order Afrosoricida contains the golden moles of southern Africa and the tenrecs of Madagascar and Africa, two families of small mammals that have traditionally been considered to be a part of the order Insectivora.Some biologists use Tenrecomorpha as the name for the tenrec-golden mole clade,...
: tenrecs and golden moles - Macroscelidea: elephant shrews
- Tubulidentata: Aardvark
- Hyracoidea: hyraxes
- ProboscideaProboscideaProboscidea is a taxonomic order containing one living family, Elephantidae, and several extinct families. This order was first described by J. Illiger in 1881 and encompasses the trunked mammals...
: elephants - SireniaSireniaSirenia is an order of fully aquatic, herbivorous mammals that inhabit swamps, rivers, estuaries, marine wetlands, and coastal marine waters. Four species are living, in two families and genera. These are the dugong and manatees...
: manatees and dugongs
- Afrosoricida
- Superorder XenarthraXenarthraThe superorder Xenarthra is a group of placental mammals , existent today only in the Americas and represented by anteaters, tree sloths, and armadillos. The origins of the order can be traced back as far as the Paleogene in South America...
- Cingulata: armadillos
- PilosaPilosaThe order Pilosa is a group of placental mammals, extant today only in the Americas. It includes the anteaters and sloths, including the recently extinct ground sloths....
: sloths and anteaters
- Superorder LaurasiatheriaLaurasiatheriaLaurasiatheria is a large group of placental mammals believed to have originated on the northern supercontinent of Laurasia. It includes shrews, hedgehogs, pangolins, bats, whales, most hoofed mammals, and carnivorans, among others....
- Erinaceomorpha: hedgehogs
- SoricomorphaSoricomorphaThe order Soricomorpha is taxon within the class of mammals. In previous years it formed a significant group within the former order Insectivora...
: shrews, moles - Chiroptera: bats
- Pholidota: pangolins
- CarnivoraCarnivoraThe diverse order Carnivora |Latin]] carō "flesh", + vorāre "to devour") includes over 260 species of placental mammals. Its members are formally referred to as carnivorans, while the word "carnivore" can refer to any meat-eating animal...
: carnivores; cats, dogs, bears, seals, sea lions and others - Perissodactyla: odd-toed ungulates; horses, rhinos, tapirs
- Artiodactyla: even-toed ungulates: antelopes, cattle, giraffes, camels, pigs, hippos, sheep, goats
- CetaceaCetaceaThe order Cetacea includes the marine mammals commonly known as whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Cetus is Latin and is used in biological names to mean "whale"; its original meaning, "large sea animal", was more general. It comes from Ancient Greek , meaning "whale" or "any huge fish or sea...
: whales, dolphins, and porpoises
- Superorder EuarchontogliresEuarchontogliresEuarchontoglires is a clade of mammals, the living members of which are rodents, lagomorphs, treeshrews, colugos and primates .-Evolutionary relationships:...
- Dermoptera: colugos
- Scandentia: treeshrews
- Primates: lemurs, monkeys, apes and allies
- RodentRodentRodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
ia: rodents - LagomorphaLagomorphaThe lagomorphs are the members of the taxonomic order Lagomorpha, of which there are two living families, the Leporidae , and the Ochotonidae...
: rabbits, hares and pikas
- Superorder Afrotheria
- Infraclass Marsupial
Class ReptiliaReptileReptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
(reptiles)
- CrocodiliaCrocodiliaCrocodilia is an order of large reptiles that appeared about 84 million years ago in the late Cretaceous Period . They are the closest living relatives of birds, as the two groups are the only known survivors of the Archosauria...
(Crocodilians) - Rhynchocephalia (Tuataras)
- SquamataSquamataSquamata, or the scaled reptiles, is the largest recent order of reptiles, including lizards and snakes. Members of the order are distinguished by their skins, which bear horny scales or shields. They also possess movable quadrate bones, making it possible to move the upper jaw relative to the...
(Lizards, Snakes) - Testudines (Turtles and their kin)
Class SarcopterygiiSarcopterygiiThe Sarcopterygii or lobe-finned fishes – sometimes considered synonymous with Crossopterygii constitute a clade of the bony fishes, though a strict classification would include the terrestrial vertebrates...
(fleshy-finned fishes)
- Subclass ActinistiaActinistiaActinistia is a subclass of mostly fossil lobe-finned fishes. This subclass contains the coelacanths, including the two living coelacanths, the West Indian Ocean coelacanth and the king of the sea....
(coelacanths)- Coelacanthiformes, the coelacanth
- Subclass Dipnoi (lungfish)
- Ceratodontiformes
- LepidosireniformesLepidosireniformesLepidosireniformes is the order of lungfish containing the families Lepidosirenidae and Protopteridae ....
Class ThaliaceaThaliaceaThe Thaliacea comprise a class of marine animals within the subphylum Tunicata. Unlike their bottom-dwelling relatives the ascidians, thaliaceans are free-floating for their entire lifespan. The group includes both solitary and colonial species.-Anatomy:...
(pelagic tunicates)
- DoliolidaDoliolidaDoliolida are small marine animals of the Tunicata phylum, related to salps and pyrosomas. The Doliolid body is small, typically 1–2 cm long, and barrel-shaped; it features two wide siphons, one at the front and the other at the back end, and eight or nine circular muscle strands reminiscent...
- Pyrosomida
- Salpida, salps