Teleost

Teleost Temporal range: Jurassic – Recent
Retroculus (Cichlidae); Hairy Blenny, Labrisomus; Ogcocephalus and Acanthurus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Subclass:	Neopterygii
Infraclass:	Teleostei

Teleosts are the dominant fish of the present day. They arose in the Mesozoic era, and include 20,000 living species.

They are, in order of evolution, vertebrates, jawed fish (Gnathostomata), bony fish (Osteichthyes) and ray-finned fish (Actinopterygii).

Teleosts have a movable jaw and changes in the jaw muscles. These changes make it possible for them to protrude their jaws outwards from the mouth. This adaptation improves their ability to grab fast-moving prey.

Date of origin

A single species of fish from the Jurassic, Pholidophorus bechii, is thought to be the sister-group of the 25,000-strong species of fossil and living teleosts.

This is in opposition to the view that Pholidophorus was itself a teleost, and the group originated in the Triassic.

Teleost Superorders

Teleostei

• Osteoglossomorpha (freshwater elephantfish, mooneyes, Arapaima)
• Elopomorpha (eels)
• Clupeomorpha (herrings, anchovies)
• Ostariophysi (carp, goldfish, minnows, catfish, piranha, electric eels)
• Protacanthopterygii (salmon, trout, pike)
• Stenopterygii (marine hatchetfish)
• Cyclosquamata (Bombay duck. lancetfish)
• Scopelomorpha (lanternfish)
• Lampridiomorpha (ribbonfish)
• Polymyxiomorpha (beardfish)
• Paracanthopterygii (cavefish, cod, anglerfish)
• Acanthopterygii (mullet, silverside, dory, flyingfish, stickleback, seahorse)
  • 16 Orders, and especially the Order Perciformes (40% of all fish): bass, cichlid, mackerel, tuna, perch, filefish, pufferfish, flatfish, goby, blenny, whiting, wrasse)