All Topics  
Atheriniformes

 
Atheriniformes

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Atheriniformes
 
 
  Topics Atheriniformes Topic Home

Atheriniformes, also known as the silversides, is an order
Order (biology)

In Biological classification used in biology, the order is a taxonomic rank between class and family . The superorder is a rank between class and order....
 of ray-finned fish that includes the Old World silversides and several less-familiar families, including the unusual Phallostethidae
Phallostethidae

The Priapum fishes are a family, Phallostethidae, of Atheriniformes fish native to South-east Asia.They are small fish, no more than in length, with partially translucent bodies....
. They are found worldwide in tropical and temperate marine and freshwater environments.

riniforms 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 , and the smallest species, such as the Bangkok minnow, being only in adult length.

Members of the order usually have two dorsal fin
Dorsal fin

A wikt:dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of some fish, whales, dolphins, and porpoises, as well as the ichthyosaurs. Its main purpose is to stabilize the animal against rolling and assist in sudden turns....
s, the first with flexible spines, and an anal fin with one spine at the front.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Atheriniformes'
Start a new discussion about 'Atheriniformes'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Atheriniformes, also known as the silversides, is an order
Order (biology)

In Biological classification used in biology, the order is a taxonomic rank between class and family . The superorder is a rank between class and order....
 of ray-finned fish that includes the Old World silversides and several less-familiar families, including the unusual Phallostethidae
Phallostethidae

The Priapum fishes are a family, Phallostethidae, of Atheriniformes fish native to South-east Asia.They are small fish, no more than in length, with partially translucent bodies....
. They are found worldwide in tropical and temperate marine and freshwater environments.

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 , and the smallest species, such as the Bangkok minnow, being only in adult length.

Members of the order usually have two dorsal fin
Dorsal fin

A wikt:dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of some fish, whales, dolphins, and porpoises, as well as the ichthyosaurs. Its main purpose is to stabilize the animal against rolling and assist in sudden turns....
s, the first with flexible spines, and an anal fin with one spine at the front. The lateral line
Lateral line

In aquatic organisms , the lateral line is a sense organ used to detect movement and vibration in the surrounding water. Lateral lines are usually visible as faint lines running lengthwise down each side, from the vicinity of the Operculum s to the base of the tail....
 is typically weak or absent. 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. They scatter their eggs widely, with most species attaching them to aquatic plants.

Taxonomy

Classification of the atheriniforms is uncertain, with the best evidence for monophyly
Monophyly

In common cladistic usage, a monophyletic group is a clade, consisting of an ancestor and all its descendants. The term is synonymous with the uncommon term holophyly....
 in the larval characteristics mentioned below. Their closest relatives are thought to be the Caprinodontiformes.

Nelson, 2006, the family Melanotaeniidae includes the subfamilies Bedotiinae, Melanotaeniinae, Pseudomugilinae, and Telmatherininae, to demonstrate their monophyly
Monophyly

In common cladistic usage, a monophyletic group is a clade, consisting of an ancestor and all its descendants. The term is synonymous with the uncommon term holophyly....
. However, in a 2004 study, a different classification scheme classifies the families Bedotiidae, Melanotaeniidae, and Pseudomugilidae (also include Telmatherinine genera) in a suborder Melanotaenioidei. Thus, the number of families in Atheriniformes varies from author to author.

Classification under Nelson, 2006:

Order Atheriniformes
  • Suborder Atherinopsoidei
    • Family Atherinopsidae (Neotropical silversides
      Neotropical silversides

      The neotropical silversides are a family Atherinopsidae of fish in the order Atheriniformes. The approximately 104 species in 13 genera are distributed throughout the tropical and temperate waters of the New World, including both marine and freshwater habitats....
      )
      • Subfamily Atherinopsinae
        • Tribe Atherinopsini
        • Tribe Sorgentinini
      • Subfamily Menidiinae
        • Tribe Menidiini
        • Tribe Membradini
  • Suborder Atherinoidei
    • Infraorder Notocheiroida
      • Family Notocheiridae
        Notocheiridae

        The surf silversides are a small family, Notocheiridae, of salt water Atheriniformes fish found in tropical and temperate seas.They are small fish, typically less than in length, with silver stripes and a keel-shaped underside....
    • Infraorder Atherinoida
      • Family Melanotaeniidae
        • Subfamily Bedotiinae
          Bedotiidae

          Bedotiidae is a family of fish known as the Madagascar rainbowfish, Madagascan rainbowfish, or Malagasy rainbowfish due to their endemism to Madagascar....
        • Subfamily Melanotaeniinae (rainbowfish
          Rainbowfish

          The rainbowfishes are a family of small, colourful, fresh water fish that are found in northern and eastern Australia and New Guinea and in the Southeast Asian Islands....
          es)
        • Subfamily Pseudomugilinae
          Pseudomugilidae

          The Blue-eyes are a family of Atheriniformes fish, the Pseudomugilidae, related to the rainbowfishes. They inhabit fresh and brackish water in Australia and New Guinea....
           (blue eyes
          Blue eyes

          Blue eyes are eyes that have blue irises , and may also refer to:*Blue-eyes, a common name for the Rainbowfish family, Melanotaeniidae*Blue Eyes , a hentai manga by Tohru Nishimaki...
          )
        • Subfamily Telmatherininae
          Telmatherinidae

          The Sail-fin silversides are a family of Atheriniformes fish, the Telmatherinidae, inhabiting fresh and brackish water . All but one species are restricted to the island of Sulawesi, and most are found solely in the Malili Lakes of that island....
           (sail-fin silversides
          Telmatherinidae

          The Sail-fin silversides are a family of Atheriniformes fish, the Telmatherinidae, inhabiting fresh and brackish water . All but one species are restricted to the island of Sulawesi, and most are found solely in the Malili Lakes of that island....
          )
      • Family Atherionidae
      • Family Phallostethidae
        Phallostethidae

        The Priapum fishes are a family, Phallostethidae, of Atheriniformes fish native to South-east Asia.They are small fish, no more than in length, with partially translucent bodies....
        • Subfamily Dentatherininae
        • Subfamily Phallostethinae
          • Tribe Phallostethini
          • Tribe Gulaphallini
      • Family Atherinidae (silversides)
        • Subfamily Atherinomorinae
        • Subfamily Craterocephalinae
        • Subfamily Atherininae