Palaeos:		Euteleostei
The Vertebrates		Neoteleostei

Euteleostei: Neoteleostei

Specialized, mostly Cenozoic, teleosts

Teleostei
|
Euteleostei
|--Ostariophysi
|  |--Anotophysi
|  `--Otophysi
|     |--Cypriniformes
|     `--Siluriphysi
`--Neognathi
   |--+--Salmoniformes
   |  `--Esociformes
   `--+--Argentiniformes
      `--Neoteleostei
         |--Stenopterygii
         `--Eurypterygii
            |--Cyclosquamata
            `--Ctenosquamata
               |--Scopelomorpha
               `--Acanthomorpha

Taxa on This Page

1. Ctenosquamata
2. Cyclosquamata
3. Eurypterygii
4. Neoteleostei
5. Scopelomorpha
6. Stenopterygii

Descriptions

Neoteleostei:  

Range: 

Phylogeny: Neognathi: Esociformes + *: Stenopterygii + Eurypterygii.

Characters: pterygoid with teeth covering medial surface [$?JP97]; levator process present on epibranchial 4 [$?JP97]; first preural & first ural centra fused [$?JP97].

Links: NCBI Browser.  

References: Johnson & Patterson (1997) [JP97].  ATW030419. 

Stenopterygii: Argyropelecus (hatchetfish); 321 spp, including lightfishes, marine hatchetfishes.  Mostly weird, deep-sea forms. 

Range: 

Phylogeny: Neoteleostei: Eurypterygii + *.

Characters: Deep sea fishes, often with photophores and large mouths, teeth present on both maxilla and premaxilla; some with chin barbel; adipose fin in some.  ATW020619.

Eurypterygii: 

Range: from the Late Cretaceous? 

Phylogeny: Neoteleostei: Stenopterygii + *: Cyclosquamata + Ctenosquamata.

Links: Eurypterygii; Link to NCBI Front Page.   ATW030402.

Cyclosquamata:  (= Aulopiformes) deep sea dwellers - 219 species lizardfish, barracudina.

Range: from the Late Cretaceous

Phylogeny: Eurypterygii: Ctenosquamata + *.

Characters: Premaxilla forming the gape of the mouth (maxilla excluded); upper jaw not protrusible; maxilla toothed; second pharyngobranchial greatly elongated posterolaterally, extending away from third pharyngobranchial, with elongated uncinate process of second epibranchial contacting third pharyngobranchial; third pharyngobranchial lacking cartilaginous condyle for articulation of second epibranchial; elongate pectoral, pelvic and caudal rays to sit on bottom; adipose fin present; caudal fin strongly forked; deep sea forms; many synchronous hermaphrodites.   

Links: Cyclosquamata; Orders Summary; IWR- Taxa- Aulopiformes; Aulopiformes; Aulopiformes; Order Aulopiformes; ??? Aulopiformes; Poster 34; TKAS 105 (2002); POISSON LÉZARD; The CDM's Earth Sciences Resource Site- SiteMap.  ATW030403.

Ctenosquamata:  

Range: 

Phylogeny: Eurypterygii: Cyclosquamata + *: Scopelomorpha + Acanthomorpha

Links: Ctenosquamata; Link to NCBI Front Page. ATW030403.

Scopelomorpha: (= Myctophiformes).  Blackchins & Lanternfishes.  Classically, a paraphyletic superorder including Cyclosquamata and Myctophiformes.  

Range: from the Late Cretaceous.

Phylogeny: Ctenosquamata: Acanthomorpha + *.

Characters: Head and body compressed (longitudinally); mouth usually large and terminal; eye lateral (dorsolateral in the myctophid Hierops); mesethmoid with median dorsal keel; first levator externus muscle reduced or absent; toothplate fused to proximal face of fourth ceratobranchial; fifth pharyngeal toothplate absent; usually 7-11 branchiostegal rays; first vertebral centrum with pair of enlarged cone-like parapophyses; adipose fin present; adipose fin support penetrating the supracarinalis posterior musculature; usually 8 pelvic fin rays; frequently with a lateral row of light organs; deep-sea pelagic and benthopelagic fishes.  

Links: Scopelomorpha; Link to NCBI Front Page; Dierentuin.Net Dieren Database Lantaarnvissen; Orders Summary; Myctophiformes; Myctophiformes 1 ORDER MYCTOPHIFORMES- Blackchins and ...; temp; Lecture 7 -; Cretaceous Fossils: Enchodus ferox Page; ATW031227.