Atheriniformes
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 Boeseman's rainbowfish, Melanotaenia boesemani, red variety
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Atheriniformes, 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. They are found worldwide in tropical and temperate marine and freshwater environments.[1]
[edit] Description
Atheriniforms are generally elongate and silvery in colour, although exceptions do exist. They are typically small fish, with the largest being the jacksmelt, with a head-body length of 44 centimetres (17 in), and the smallest species, such as the Bangkok minnow, being only 2 centimetres (0.79 in) in adult length.[1]
Members of the order usually have two dorsal fins, the first with flexible spines, and an anal fin with one spine at the front. The lateral line is typically weak or absent.[2] Atheriniform larvae share several characteristics; the gut is unusually short, there is a single row of melanophores along the back, and the fin rays do not become evident until some time after hatching.[2] They scatter their eggs widely, with most species attaching them to aquatic plants.[1]
[edit] Taxonomy
Classification of the atheriniforms is uncertain, with the best evidence for monophyly in the larval characteristics mentioned below.[2] Their closest relatives are thought to be the Caprinodontiformes.[1]
Nelson, 2006, the family Melanotaeniidae includes the subfamilies Bedotiinae, Melanotaeniinae, Pseudomugilinae, and Telmatherininae, to demonstrate their monophyly.[2] However, in a 2004 study, a different classification scheme classifies the families Bedotiidae, Melanotaeniidae, and Pseudomugilidae (also include Telmatherinine genera) in a suborder Melanotaenioidei.[3] Thus, the number of families in Atheriniformes varies from author to author.
Classification under Nelson, 2006:[2]
Order Atheriniformes
- Suborder Atherinopsoidei
- Family Atherinopsidae (Neotropical silversides)
- Subfamily Atherinopsinae
- Tribe Atherinopsini
- Tribe Sorgentinini
- Subfamily Menidiinae
- Tribe Menidiini
- Tribe Membradini
- Subfamily Atherinopsinae
- Family Atherinopsidae (Neotropical silversides)
- Suborder Atherinoidei
- Infraorder Notocheiroida
- Family Notocheiridae
- Infraorder Atherinoida
- Family Melanotaeniidae
- Subfamily Bedotiinae
- Subfamily Melanotaeniinae (rainbowfishes)
- Subfamily Pseudomugilinae (blue eyes)
- Subfamily Telmatherininae (sail-fin silversides)
- Family Atherionidae
- Family Phallostethidae
- Subfamily Dentatherininae
- Subfamily Phallostethinae
- Tribe Phallostethini
- Tribe Gulaphallini
- Family Atherinidae (silversides)
- Subfamily Atherinomorinae
- Subfamily Craterocephalinae
- Subfamily Atherininae
- Family Melanotaeniidae
- Infraorder Notocheiroida
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Allen, Gerald R. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N.. ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 153–156. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.
- ^ a b c d e Nelson, Joseph S. (2006). Fishes of the World. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 0-471-25031-7.
- ^ Sparks, John S.; Smith, W. Leo (2004). "Phylogeny and biogeography of the Malagasy and Australasian rainbowfishes (Teleostei: Melanotaenioidei): Gondwanan vicariance and evolution in freshwater" (PDF). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 33: 719–734. doi:. http://research.amnh.org/scicomp/pdfs/Sparks_Smith2004b.pdf. Retrieved on 2009-06-22.
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