Teleostei
Yellow perch (Perca flavescens)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Infraclass: Teleostei
Superorders
Osteoglossomorpha Elopomorpha Clupeomorpha Ostariophysi Protacanthopterygii Stenopterygii Cyclosquamata Scopelomorpha Lampridiomorpha Polymyxiomorpha Paracanthopterygii Acanthopterygii

Teleostei is one of three infraclasses in class Actinopterygii, the ray-finned fishes. This diverse group, which arose in the Triassic period ¹, includes 20,000 extant species in about 40 orders. The other two infraclasses, Holostei and Chondrostei, are paraphyletic.²

See Actinopterygii for a complete list of orders.

Characteristics

Teleosts have a movable maxilla and premaxilla and corresponding modifications in the jaw musculature. These modifications make it possible for teleosts to protrude their jaws outwards from the mouth.²³ The caudal fin is homocercal, meaning the upper and lower lobes are about equal in size. The spine ends at the caudal peduncle, distinguishing this group from those in which the spine extends into the upper lobe of the caudal fin. ²

Systematics and evolution

The first fossils of teleosts date back to early Triassic. Teleosts are usually divided into twelve superorders, containing the following extant families:

• Superorder Osteoglossomorpha
  • Order Osteoglossiformes, the bony-tongued fishes
  • Order Hiodontiformes, including the mooneye and goldeye
• Superorder Elopomorpha
  • Order Elopiformes, including the ladyfishes and tarpon
  • Order Albuliformes, the bonefishes
  • Order Notacanthiformes, including the halosaurs and spiny eels
  • Order Anguilliformes, the true eels and gulpers
  • Order Saccopharyngiformes, including the gulper eel
• Superorder Clupeomorpha
  • Order Clupeiformes, including herrings and anchovies
• Superorder Ostariophysi
  • Order Gonorynchiformes, including the milkfishes
  • Order Cypriniformes, including barbs, carp, danios, goldfishes, loaches, minnows, rasboras
  • Order Characiformes, including characins, pencilfishes, hatchetfishes, piranhas, tetras.
  • Order Gymnotiformes, including electric eels and knifefishes
  • Order Siluriformes, the catfishes
• Superorder Protacanthopterygii
  • Order Salmoniformes, including salmon and trout
  • Order Esociformes the pike
  • Order Osmeriformes, including the smelts and galaxiids
• Superorder Stenopterygii
  • Order Ateleopodiformes, the jellynose fish
  • Order Stomiiformes, including the bristlemouths and marine hatchetfishes
• Superorder Cyclosquamata
  • Order Aulopiformes, including the Bombay duck and lancetfishes
• Superorder Scopelomorpha
  • Order Myctophiformes, including the lanternfishes
• Superorder Lampridiomorpha
  • Order Lampriformes, including the oarfish, opah and ribbonfishes
• Superorder Polymyxiomorpha
  • Order Polymixiiformes, the beardfishes
• Superorder Paracanthopterygii
  • Order Percopsiformes, including the cavefishes and trout-perches
  • Order Batrachoidiformes, the toadfishes
  • Order Lophiiformes, including the anglerfishes
  • Order Gadiformes, including cods
  • Order Ophidiiformes, including the pearlfishes
• Superorder Acanthopterygii
  • Order Mugiliformes, the mullets
  • Order Atheriniformes, including silversides and rainbowfishes
  • Order Beloniformes, including the flyingfishes
  • Order Cetomimiformes, the whalefishes
  • Order Cyprinodontiformes, including livebearers, killifishes
  • Order Stephanoberyciformes, including the ridgeheads
  • Order Beryciformes, including the fangtooths and pineconefishes
  • Order Zeiformes, including the dories
  • Order Gobiesociformes, the clingfishes⁴
  • Order Gasterosteiformes including sticklebacks, pipefishes, seahorses
  • Order Syngnathiformes, including the seahorses and pipefishes⁵
  • Order Synbranchiformes, including the swamp eels
  • Order Tetraodontiformes, including the filefishes and pufferfish
  • Order Pleuronectiformes, the flatfishes
  • Order Scorpaeniformes, including scorpionfishes and the sculpins
  • Order Perciformes 40% of all fish including anabantids, bass, cichlids, gobies, gouramis, mackerel, perches, scats, whiting, wrasses

References

1. ^ Palmer, Douglas (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs & Prehistoric animals. London: Marshall Editions Developments Ltd. ISBN 3-8290-6747-X. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Benton, Michael J. (1990). Vertebrate Paleontology. London: Chapman & Hall. ISBN 0-412-54010-X. 
3. ^ Ben Waggoner (1995-07-17). "Telostei". Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved on 2006-06-08.
4. ^ In ITIS, Gobiesociformes is placed as the suborder Gobiesocoidei of the order Perciformes.
5. ^ In ITIS, Syngnathiformes is placed as the suborder Syngnathoidei of the order Gasterosteiformes.

Silver arowana (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum)