Saturday, February 23, 2013

Taxonomy of Fish

File:Salvelinus fontinalis.jpg
The State Fish of Virginia, the Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)

My post today is a brief presentation of the taxonomy of some of the significant fish found in the vicinity of the Mid-Atlantic of the eastern United States and in the adjoining waterways.

Amongst the vertebrates, fish are unique insofar as they compose three classes -- while birds, reptiles, and amphibians, are each a single class of the phylum.

Of course, any taxonomical list is subject to dispute, and fish are no exception.  Nevertheless, this seemed resonable to this blogger!


Kingdom Animalia

PHYLUM CRANIATA or CORDATA

Subphylum Vertebrata

File:Lampreys.jpg
Lamprey!

·         Class Agnatha [Jawless Fish: Hagfish & Lampreys]

File:White shark.jpg
Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
 

·         Class Chondrichthyes [Cartilaginous Fish: Sharks & Rays]

o   Order Squaliformes

§  Family Rhincodontidae [Whale Sharks]

§  Family Lamnidae [Mackerel Sharks: Great White Shark, Mako Shark]

§  Family Carcharhinidae [Requiem Sharks: Bull Shark, Tiger Shark]

o   Order Rajiformes [Sawfish, Skates & Rays]

File:Lepomis macrochirus photo.jpg
Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)
 

·         Class Osteichthyes [Bony Fish]

o   Order Acipenseriformes [Sturgeon & Paddlefish]

o   Order Aguilliformes [Eels]

§  Family Anguillidae [Freshwater Eels]

·         American Eel (Anguilla rostrata)

§  Family Muraenidae [Moray Eels]

o   Order Clupeiformes [Anchovies, Shad & Herring]

o   Order Salmoniformes [Salmon, Smelts, Mudminnows, Pikes]

§  Family Salmonidae [Salmon, Trout & Whitefish]

·         Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)

o   Order Cypriniformes

§  Family Characidae [Tetra, Piranha]

§  Family Cyprinidae [Carps & Minnows]

·         Goldfish (Carassius auratus)

·         Blacknose Dace (Rhinichthys atratulus)

§  Family Catostomidae [Suckers]

o   Order Siluriformes [Catfishes & Pirate Perches]

§  Family Ictaluridae [Bullhead Catfishes: Channel Catfish, Madtoms]

o   Order Gadiformes [Cod, Haddock, Hake, Pollock]

o   Order Atheriniformes [Halfbeak, Needlefish, Killifish, Livebearers]

§  Family Poeciliidae [Livebearers: Guppies, Swordtails, Mollys]

·         Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis)

o   Order Gasterosteiformes [Sticklebacks, Trumpetfish, Cornetfish, Sea Horses]

o   Order Perciformes [Basses, Groupers, Perches, Sunfish, Remora, Jacks, Dolphinfish, Snappers, Grunts, Drums, Cichlids, Wrasses, Barracudas, Mackerel, Tuna, Albacore, Swordfish, Marlin]

§  Family Percichthyidae [Temperate Basses]

·         Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis)

§  Family Centrarchidae [Sunfish]

·         Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)

·         Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)

§  Family Percidae [Perches]

·         Tessellated Darter (Etheostoma olmstedi)

·         Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens)

·         Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum)

§  Family Cichlidae [Cichlids & Tilapia]

o   Order Pleuronectiformes [Flounders & Soles]

o    Order Tetraodontiformes [Filefish, Puffers, Ocean Sunfish]

If your interest takes you in the direction of fishkeeping, be sure to refer to this site:
http://www.fishlore.com/

Live well!

No comments:

Post a Comment