Osteoglossomorpha is a group of

bony fish Osteichthyes (), popularly referred to as the bony fish, is a diverse superclass of fish that have skeletons primarily composed of bone tissue. They can be contrasted with the Chondrichthyes, which have skeletons primarily composed of cartilag ...

in the

Teleostei Teleostei (; Ancient Greek, Greek ''teleios'' "complete" + ''osteon'' "bone"), members of which are known as teleosts ), is, by far, the largest class (biology), infraclass in the class Actinopterygii, the ray-finned fishes, containing 96% of a ...

Notable members

A notable member is the

arapaima The arapaima, pirarucu, or paiche is any large species of bonytongue in the genus ''Arapaima'' native to the Amazon and Essequibo basins of South America. ''Arapaima'' is the type genus of the subfamily Arapaiminae within the family Osteoglossi ...

(''Arapaima gigas''), the largest freshwater fish in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

and one of the largest bony fishes alive. Other notable members include the bizarre freshwater elephantfishes of family Mormyridae.

Systematics

Most osteoglossomorph lineages are

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

today. Only the somewhat diverse "bone-tongues" (

Osteoglossiformes Osteoglossiformes (Greek: "bony tongues") is a relatively primitive order of ray-finned fish that contains two sub-orders, the Osteoglossoidei and the Notopteroidei. All of at least 245 living species inhabit freshwater. They are found in South ...

) and two

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

mooneye Hiodontidae, commonly called mooneyes, is a family of ray-finned fish with a single included genus ''Hiodon''. The genus comprise two living species native to North America and three to five extinct species recorded from Paleocene to Eocene age ...

s (Hiodontiformes) remain. The

Ichthyodectiform Ichthyodectiformes is an extinct order of marine stem-teleost ray-finned fish. The order is named after the genus '' Ichthyodectes'', established by Edward Drinker Cope in 1870. Ichthyodectiforms are usually considered to be some of the closest ...

fishes from the

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The J ...

and

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of th ...

periods were once classified as osteoglossomorphs, but are now generally recognized as stem

teleost Teleostei (; Greek ''teleios'' "complete" + ''osteon'' "bone"), members of which are known as teleosts ), is, by far, the largest infraclass in the class Actinopterygii, the ray-finned fishes, containing 96% of all extant species of fish. Tele ...

Basal and ''

incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertain ...

'' (Extinct) * Genus †'' Paralycoptera'' Chang & Chou, 1977 * Genus †''

Jinanichthys ''Jinanichthys'' is an extinct genus of osteoglossiform which existed in China during the early Cretaceous period The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final peri ...

'' Ma & Sun 1988 'Liaoxiichthys''_Su_1992.html" ;"title="Liaoxiichthys.html" ;"title="' 'Liaoxiichthys''_Su_1992">Liaoxiichthys.html"_;"title="'Liaoxiichthys">'Liaoxiichthys''_Su_1992*_Genus_?†''Kokuraichthys.html" ;"title="Liaoxiichthys">'Liaoxiichthys'' Su 1992">Liaoxiichthys.html" ;"title="'Liaoxiichthys">'Liaoxiichthys'' Su 1992* Genus ?†''Kokuraichthys">Liaoxiichthys">'Liaoxiichthys'' Su 1992">Liaoxiichthys.html" ;"title="'Liaoxiichthys">'Liaoxiichthys'' Su 1992* Genus ?†''Kokuraichthys'' Yabumoto 2013 * Genus ?†''Nierrkunia'' Su 1992 * Genus ?†''Shuleichthys'' Murray, You & Peng 2010 * Genus ?†''Suziichthys'' Su 1992 * Genus ?†''Wilsonichthys'' Murray, Newbrey, Neumand & Brinkmand 2016 * Family † Jiaohichthyidae Ma 1983 ** Genus †'' Jiaohichthys'' Ma 1983 * Family † Kuyangichthidae Liu, Ma & Liu, 1982 ** Genus †'' Kuyangichthys'' Liu, Ma & Liu 1982 ** Genus †'' Pulinia'' Ma 1983 Order † Lycopteriformes Chang & Chou 1977 * Family † Juiquanichthyidae Ma, 1984 ** Genus †'' Jiuquanichthys'' Ma 1984 ** Genus †''

Changma The East Asian Monsoon is a monsoonal flow that carries moist air from the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean to East Asia. It affects approximately one-third of the global population, influencing the climate of Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, Ch ...

'' Ma 1984 ** Genus †'' Qilianichthys'' Ma 1984 * Family † Lycopteridae Liu, Su, Huang & Chang, 1963 ** Genus †'' Aokiichthys'' Yabumoto 1994 ** Genus †'' Changichthys'' Su 1991 ** Genus †'' Manchurichthys'' Saito 1936 ** Genus †'' Neolycoptera'' Dolgopol de Saez 1939 ** Genus †'' Pingolepis'' Chang & Chow 1974 ** Genus †'' Tongxinichthys'' Ma 1980 ** Genus †'' Yixianichthys'' Wu 2003 ** Genus †'' Yungkangichthys'' Chang & Chou 1977 ** Genus †''

Lycoptera ''Lycoptera'' is an extinct genus of fish that lived from the late Jurassic to Cretaceous periods in present-day China, North Korea, Mongolia and Siberia. It is known from abundant fossils representing sixteen species, which serve as important ind ...

'' Liu et al. 1963 'Asiatolepis''_Takai_1944;_''Sungarichthys.html" ;"title="Asiatolepis.html" ;"title="'Asiatolepis">'Asiatolepis'' Takai 1944; ''Sungarichthys">Asiatolepis.html" ;"title="'Asiatolepis">'Asiatolepis'' Takai 1944; ''Sungarichthys'' Takai 1944] Order Hiodontiformes McAllister 1968 sensu Taverne 1979 * Genus †''Chetungichthys'' Chang & Chou, 1977 * Genus †''Plesiolycoptera'' Zhang & Zhou 1976 * Genus †'' Yanbiania'' Li 1987 * Family

Hiodontidae Hiodontidae, commonly called mooneyes, is a family of ray-finned fish with a single included genus ''Hiodon''. The genus comprise two living species native to North America and three to five extinct species recorded from Paleocene to Eocene age ...

Valenciennes 1846 sensu stricto (mooneyes) ** Genus †'' Eohiodon'' Cavender 1966 ** Genus ''

Hiodon Hiodontidae, commonly called mooneyes, is a family of ray-finned fish with a single included genus ''Hiodon''. The genus comprise two living species native to North America and three to five extinct species recorded from Paleocene to Eocene age ...

'' Lesueur 1818 Order

Regan 1909 sensu Zhang 2004 * Genus ''

Xixiaichthys ''Xixiaichthys'' is an extinct genus of osteoglossiformes, osteoglossiform fish that lived in China during the Early Cretaceous and was found in the Madongshan Formation and also the Xinminbao Group. The type species is ''Xixiaichthys tongxiensis ...

'' Zhang 2004 * Genus '' Tanolepis'' Jin 1994 'Tanichthys''_Jin_1991_non_Lin_1932.html" ;"title="Tanichthys.html" ;"title="' 'Tanichthys''_Jin_1991_non_Lin_1932">Tanichthys.html"_;"title="'Tanichthys">'Tanichthys''_Jin_1991_non_Lin_1932*_Family_†Huashiidae.html" ;"title="Tanichthys">'Tanichthys'' Jin 1991 non Lin 1932">Tanichthys.html" ;"title="'Tanichthys">'Tanichthys'' Jin 1991 non Lin 1932* Family †Huashiidae">Tanichthys">'Tanichthys'' Jin 1991 non Lin 1932">Tanichthys.html" ;"title="'Tanichthys">'Tanichthys'' Jin 1991 non Lin 1932* Family †Huashiidae Chang & Chou, 1977 ** Genus †''Kuntulunia'' Liu, Ma & Liu 1982 ** Genus †''Huashia'' Chang & Chou 1977 * Suborder Pantodontoidei ** Family Pantodontidae Peters 1876 (freshwater butterflyfishes) *** Genus '' Pantodon'' Peters 1877 * Suborder

Osteoglossoidei Osteoglossoidei are a suborder of the order Osteoglossiformes (Latin: "bony tongues") that contains the butterflyfish, the arowanas and bonytongue Arapaiminae is a subfamily of freshwater osteoglossiform (bony-tongued) fishes belonging to the ...

Regan 1909 ** Genus †'' Genartina'' Frizzell & Dante 1965 ** Genus †''

Monopteros A monopteros (Ancient Greek: , from the Polytonic: μόνος, 'only, single, alone', and , 'wing') is a circular colonnade supporting a roof but without any walls. Unlike a tholos (in its wider sense as a circular building), it does not have ...

'' Volta 1796 ** Genus †'' Musperia'' Sanders 1934 ** Genus †'' Phareoides'' Taverne, 1973 ** Genus †'' Chauliopareion'' ** Family † Brychaetidae Bonde 1966 *** Genus †'' Brychaetus'' Woodward 1901 ** Family † Singididae Greenwood & Patterson 1967 *** Genus †''

Singida Singida is a town in central Tanzania. The town is the location of the regional headquarters of Singida Region as well as the district headquarters of Singida Urban District. The region and district are named after the town. Transport Road l ...

'' Greenwood & Patterson 1967 ** Family Phaerodontidae Jordan 1925a *** Genus †'' Phareodusichthys'' Gayet 1991 *** Genus †'' Cretophareodus'' Li 1996 *** Genus †''

Phareodus ''Phareodus'' is a genus of freshwater fish from the Paleocene to the Eocene of Australia, Europe and North and South America. This genus includes at least four species,1997 "The species of †Phareodus (Teleostei: Osteoglossidae) from the Eoce ...

'' Leidy 1873 ** Family

Osteoglossidae Osteoglossidae is a family of large freshwater fish, which includes the arowanas and arapaima. The family contains two subfamilies Arapaiminae and Osteoglossinae, with a total of five living genera. Osteoglossids are basal teleosts that origin ...

Bonaparte 1832 sensu lato (arowanas) * Suborder

Notopteroidei Notopteroidei is a suborder of the order Osteoglossiformes that contains the extant families Gymnarchidae (aba), Notopteridae (feather backs and knifefish) and Mormyridae The Mormyridae, sometimes called "elephantfish" (more properly freshwat ...

Greenwood 1973 ** Family † Ostariostomidae Schaeffer, 1949 *** Genus †''

Ostariostoma ''Ostariostoma'' is an extinct genus of prehistoric bony fish that lived during the Late Cretaceous epoch. See also * Prehistoric fish The evolution of fish began about 530 million years ago during the Cambrian explosion. It was during t ...

'' Schaeffer 1949 ** Superfamily Notopteroidea *** Family † Wakinoichthidae Yabumoto 1994 **** Genus '' Wakinoichthys'' Yabumoto 1994 corrig. *** Family † Kipalaichthyidae Benveniste 1998 **** Genus †'' Kipalaichthys'' Casier 1965 **** Genus †'' Paradercetis'' Casier 1965 *** Family

Notopteridae The family Notopteridae contains 10 species of osteoglossiform (bony-tongued) fishes, commonly known as featherbacks and knifefishes. These fishes live in freshwater or brackish environments in Africa and South and Southeast Asia. With the denot ...

Bleeker 1851 (Brown knifefish; featherbacks) ** Superfamily Mormyroidea *** Family

Gymnarchidae ''Gymnarchus niloticus'' – commonly known as the ''aba'', ''aba aba'', frankfish, freshwater rat-tail, ''poisson-cheval'', or African knifefish – is an electric fish, and the only species in the genus ''Gymnarchus'' and the family Gymnarchid ...

Bleeker 1859 (Aba, African Knifefish) *** Family

Mormyridae The Mormyridae, sometimes called "elephantfish" (more properly freshwater elephantfish), are a family of weakly electric freshwater fish in the order Osteoglossiformes native to Africa. It is by far the largest family in the order with around 2 ...

Bonaparte 1832 (freshwater elephantfishes)

Phylogeny

Phylogeny based on the following works:Sullivan, J. P., Lavoué S., & Hopkins C. D. (2000): ''Molecular systematics of the African electric fishes (Mormyroidea: Teleostei) and a model for the evolution of their electric organs.'' Journal of Experimental Biology. 203, 665-683
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References

Fish superorders Extant Late Jurassic first appearances {{Rayfinned-fish-stub