Fish Guide

Perciformes
Yellow perch (Perca flavescens)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia   Phylum: Chordata   Class: Actinopterygii   Order: Perciformes
Families
many, see text

The Perciformes, also called the Percomorphi or Acanthopteri, include about 40% of all fish and are the largest order of vertebrates. The name Perciformes means perch-like. They belong to the ray-finned fish and comprise over 7000 different species, with varying shapes and sizes, found in almost all aquatic environments. They first appeared and diversified in the Late Cretaceous.

Perciform fish typically have dorsal and anal fins divided into anterior spiny and posterior soft-rayed portions, which may be partially or completely separated. There are usually pelvic fins with one spine and up to five soft rays, either positioned by the throat or under the belly. Scales are usually ctenoid in form, though sometimes they are cycloid or otherwise modified. Various other, more technical characters define the group.

Classification is controversial. As traditionally defined the Perciformes are almost certainly paraphyletic. Other orders that should possibly be included as suborders are the Scorpaeniformes, Tetraodontiformes, and Pleuronectiformes. Of the presently recognized suborders several may be paraphyletic as well.

Families

These are grouped by suborder/superfamily, generally following Fishes of the World.

• Suborder Percoidei
  • Superfamily Percoidea
    • Acropomatidae (temperate ocean-basses)
      Ambassidae (Asiatic glassfishes)
      Apogonidae (cardinalfishes)
      Arripidae (Australasian salmon)
      Banjosidae
      Bathyclupeidae
      Bramidae (pomfrets)
      Callanthiidae
      Carangidae (jacks, pompanos)
      Caristiidae (manefishes)
      Centracanthidae
      Centrarchidae (freshwater sunfishes)
      Centropomidae (snooks)
      Chaetodontidae (butterflyfishes)
      Coryphaenidae (dolphinfishes)
      Dichistiidae (galjoen fishes)
      Dinolestidae (long-finned pike)
      Dinopercidae
      Drepaneidae
      Echeneidae (remoras)
      Emmelichthyidae (rovers)
      Enoplosidae (oldwife)
      Epigonidae (deepwater cardinalfishes)
      Gerreidae (mojarras)
      Glaucosomatidae (pearl perches)
      Grammatidae (basslets)
      Haemulidae (grunts)
      Inermiidae (bonnetmouths)
      Kuhliidae (flagtails or aholeholes)
      Kyphosidae (sea chubs)
      Lactariidae (false trevallies)
      Leiognathidae (ponyfishes)
      Leptobramidae (beachsalmon)
      Lethrinidae
      Lobotidae (tripletails)
      Lutjanidae (snappers, fusiliers)
      Malacanthidae (Tilefishes)
      Menidae (moonfish)
      Monodactylidae (moonyfishes)
      Moronidae (temperate basses)
      Mullidae (goatfishes)
      Nandidae (leaffishes)
      Nematistiidae (roosterfish)
      Nemipteridae (threadfin breams)
      Notograptidae
      Opistognathidae (jawfishes)
      Oplegnathidae (knifejaws)
      Ostracoberycidae
      Pempheridae (sweepers)
      Pentacerotidae (armorheads)
      Percichthyidae (Temperate perches)
      Percidae (perches and darters)
      Plesiopidae
      Polycentridae
      Polynemidae (threadfins)
      Polyprionidae (wreckfishes)
      Pomacanthidae (angelfishes)
      Pomatomidae (bluefishes)
      Priacanthidae (bigeyes, catalufas)
      Pseudochromidae (dottybacks)
      Rachycentridae (cobia)
      Sciaenidae (drums)
      Scombropidae (gnomefish)
      Serranidae (sea basses, groupers)
      Sillaginidae (whitings et al)
      Sparidae (porgies)
      Terapontidae (grunters or tigerperches)
      Toxotidae (archerfishes)
  • Superfamily Cirrhitoidea
    • Aplodactylidae (marblefishes)
      Cheilodactylidae (morwongs)
      Chironemidae (kelpfishes)
      Cirrhitidae (hawkfishes)
      Latridae (trumpeters)
  • Superfamily Cepoloidea
    • Cepolidae (bandfishes)
• Suborder Elassomatoidei
  • Elassomatidae (pygmy sunfishes)
• Suborder Labroidei
  • Cichlidae (cichlids)
    Embiotocidae (surfperches)
    Labridae (wrasses)
    Odacidae
    Pomacentridae (damselfishes)
    Scaridae (parrotfishes)
• Suborder Zoarcoidei
  • Anarhichadidae
    Bathymasteridae (ronquils)
    Cryptacanthodidae
    Pholidae
    Ptilichthyidae
    Scytalinidae
    Stichaeidae (pricklebacks)
    Zaproridae (prowfish)
    Zoarcidae (eelpouts)
• Suborder Notothenioidei
  • Bathydraconidae
    Bovichthyidae
    Channichthyidae (crocodile icefishes)
    Harpagiferidae (plunderfishes)
    Nototheniidae
• Suborder Trachinoidei
  • Ammodytidae (sand lances)
    Champsodontidae
    Cheimarrhichthyidae
    Chiasmodontidae
    Creediidae (sandburrowers)
    Leptoscopidae
    Percophidae (duckbills)
    Pholidichthyidae (convict blenny)
    Pinguipedidae (sandperches)
    Trachinidae (weeverfishes)
    Trichodontidae (sandfishes)
    Trichonotidae (sanddivers)
    Uranoscopidae (stargazers)
• Suborder Blennioidei
  • Blenniidae
    Chaenopsidae
    Clinidae
    Dactyloscopidae
    Labrisomidae
    Tripterygiidae
• Suborder Icosteoidei
  • Icosteidae (ragfishes)
• Suborder Gobiesocoidei
  • Gobiesocidae (clingfishes)
• Suborder Callionymoidei
  • Callionymidae (dragonets)
  • Draconettidae
• Suborder Gobioidei
  • Eleotridae (sleepers)
    Gobiidae (gobies)
    Kraemeriidae (sandfishes or sand gobies)
    Microdesmidae (wormfishes)
    Odontobutidae
    Ptereleotridae (dartfishes)
    Rhyacichthyidae (loach gobies)
    Schindleriidae
    Xenisthmidae
• Suborder Kurtoidei
  • Kurtidae (nurseryfishes)
• Suborder Acanthuroidei
  • Acanthuridae (surgeonfishes)
    Ephippidae (spadefishes)
    Luvaridae (louvar)
    Scatophagidae (scats)
    Siganidae (rabbitfishes)
    Zanclidae (moorish idol)
• Suborder Scombrolabracoidei
  • Scombrolabracidae
• Suborder Scombroidei
  • Sphyraenidae (barracudas)
    Gempylidae (snake mackerels)
    Trichiuridae (cutlassfishes)
    Scombridae (mackerels and tunas)
    Xiphiidae (billfishes)
• Suborder Stromateoidei
  • Amarsipidae
    Ariommatidae
    Centrolophidae (medusafishes)
    Nomeidae (driftfishes)
    Tetragonuridae (squaretails)
    Stromateidae (butterfishes)
• Suborder Anabantoidei
  • Anabantidae (climbing gouramies)
    Belontiidae (gouramies)
    Helostomatidae (kissing gourami)
    Luciocephalidae (pikehead)
    Osphronemidae (giant gouramies)
• Suborder Channoidei
  • Channidae (snakeheads)

References

• "Perciformes". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. October 2004 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2004.
• Perciformes (TSN 167640). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 5 December 2004.
• J. S. Nelson, Fishes of the World (3rd ed.)