Ovalentaria is a

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. The ray-finned fishes are so called because their fins are webs of skin supported by bony or h ...

es within the

Percomorpha Percomorpha () is a large clade of ray-finned fish that includes the tuna, seahorses, gobies, cichlids, flatfish, wrasse, perches, anglerfish, and pufferfish. Evolution Percomorpha are the most diverse group of teleost fish today. Teleosts, and ...

, referred to as a subseries. It is made up of a group of fish

families Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideal ...

which are referred to in ''

Fishes of the World ''Fishes of the World'' by the American ichthyologist Joseph S. Nelson (1937–2011) is a standard reference for fish systematics. Now in its fifth edition (2016), the work is a comprehensive overview of the diversity and classification of the ...

's'' fifth edition as''

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, uncertainty ...

'', as well as the

orders Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

Mugiliformes The mullets or grey mullets are a family (Mugilidae) of ray-finned fish found worldwide in coastal temperate and tropical waters, and some species in fresh water. Mullets have served as an important source of food in Mediterranean Europe since R ...

Cichliformes Cichliformes is an order of fishes. Its members were previously classified under the order Perciformes, but now many authorities consider it to be an independent order within the subseries Ovalentaria. Families There are two families within the ...

, and

Blenniiformes Blenny (from the Greek and , mucus, slime) is a common name for many types of fish, including several families of percomorph marine, brackish, and some freshwater fish sharing similar morphology and behaviour. Six families are considered "tru ...

. It was named by W. L. Smith and T. J. Near in Wainwright ''et al.'' (2012) based on a molecular phylogeny, but the authors suggested that the group was united by the presence of demersal eggs that are attached to a substrate. Some authors have used the ordinal name

Stiassnyiformes Stiassnyiformes is an order of bony fish (Teleostei) proposed in 2009.Blaise Li, Agnès Dettaï, Corinne Cruaud, Arnaud Couloux, Martine Desoutter-Meniger, Guillaume Lecointre: ''RNF213, a new nuclear marker for acanthomorph phylogeny.'' Molecul ...

for a clade including Mugiloidei,

Plesiopidae The longfins, also known as roundheads or spiny basslets, are a family, Plesiopidae, which were formerly placed in the order Perciformes but are now regarded as being ''incertae sedis'' in the subseries Ovalentaria in the clade Percomorpha. They ...

, Blenniiformes,

Atherinomorpha The Atherinomorpha is a clade of fishes in the superorder Acanthopterygii, the ray-finned fishes, consisting of three orders. The clade is ranked as an infraseries within the subseries Ovalentaria, which in turn is ranked within the wider Perco ...

, and Cichlidae, and this grouping does appear to be

monophyletic In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...

Classification

In the 5th edition of'' Fishes of the World'', the Ovalentaria are classified as: * ''incertae sedis'' ** Family Ambassidae (Asian glassfishes) ** Family Embiotocidae (surfperches) ** Family

Grammatidae Grammatidae is a small family of ray-finned fishes which were formerly placed in the order Perciformes but are now regarded as being ''incertae sedis'' in the subseries Ovalentaria in the clade Percomorpha. They are commonly known as basslets. T ...

(basslets) ** Family

(roundheads) ** Family

Polycentridae Leaffishes are small fishes of the family Polycentridae. According to FishBase, it only includes the genera '' Monocirrhus'' and '' Polycentrus'' from fresh and brackish water in tropical South America. Although included in the Asian leaffish fa ...

(South American leaffishes) ** Family Pomacentridae (damselfishes) ** Family Pseudochromidae (dottybacks) ** Family

Opistognathidae Opistognathidae, the jawfishes, are a family of fishes which have been classified within the order Perciformes, suborder Percoidei but many authorities now classify this family within the clade Ovalentaria and consider that its affinities within ...

(jawfishes) * Order

** Family

Mugilidae The mullets or grey mullets are a family (Mugilidae) of ray-finned fish found worldwide in coastal temperate and tropical waters, and some species in fresh water. Mullets have served as an important source of food in Mediterranean Europe since R ...

(mullets) * Order

** Family Cichlidae (cichilds) ** Family

Pholidichthyidae ''Pholidichthys'' is a genus of ray-finned fish which consists of two species of the tropical Pacific Ocean. It is the only genus in the family Pholidichthyidae, one of two families in the order Cichliformes. Species The following two species ...

(convict blenny) * Order

** Family Tripterygiidae (triplefin blennies) ** Family

Dactyloscopidae Sand stargazers are blennioids; perciform marine fish of the family Dactyloscopidae. Found in temperate to tropical waters of North and South America; some may also inhabit brackish environments. The giant sand stargazer (''Dactylagnus mundus'' ...

(sand stargazers) ** Family Blenniidae (combtooth blennies) ** Family

Clinidae Clinidae is a family of marine fish in the order Blenniiformes within the series Ovalentaria, part of the Percomorpha . Temperate blennies, the family ranges from the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, in both the Southern and Northern Hemisph ...

(kelp blennies) ** Family Labrisomidae (labrisomid blennies) ** Family

Chaenopsidae The blennioid family Chaenopsidae includes the pike-blennies, tube-blennies, and flagblennies, all percomorph marine fish in the order Blenniiformes. The family is strictly tropical, ranging from North to South America. Members are also present ...

(tube blennies) * Order Gobiesociformes ** Family

Gobiesocidae Clingfishes are fishes of the family Gobiesocidae, the only family in the order Gobiesociformes. These fairly small to very small fishes are widespread in tropical and temperate regions, mostly near the coast, but a few species in deeper seas or ...

(clingfishes) * Infraseries

** Order

Atheriniformes The Atheriniformes, also known as the silversides, are an order of ray-finned fishes that includes the Old World silversides and several less-familiar families, including the unusual Phallostethidae. The order includes at least 354 species. T ...

*** Suborder Atherinopsoidei **** Family Atherinopsidae (New World silversides) **** Family

Notocheiridae The surf silverside (''Notocheirus hubbsi'') is a species of Silverside (fish), silverside from the Order (biology), order Atheriniformes found along the Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast of Argentina and Chile. It is the only known member of its Fam ...

(surf silversides) *** Suborder

Atherinoidei Atherinoidei is a suborder of the order Atheriniformes comprising six families, with a mainly Old World distribution, although a few species are found in the western Atlantic Ocean. Families The suborder contains the following families: * ...

**** Family

Isonidae ''Iso'' is an Indo-Pacific genus of silversides, commonly called surf sardines, the only genus in the monogeneric family Isonidae, they were formerly classified in the family Notocheiridae alongside the surf silverside but they are now tho ...

(surf sardines) **** Family

Melanotaeniidae The rainbowfish or Melanotaeniidae is a family of small, colourful freshwater fish found in northern and eastern Australia, New Guinea (including islands in Cenderawasih Bay and Raja Ampat Islands in Indonesia), Sulawesi and Madagascar. The ...

(rainbowfishes and blue eyes) **** Family Atherionidae (pricklenose silversides) **** Family Dentatherinidae (Mercer's tusked silverside) **** Family

Phallostethidae Phallostethidae, also known as the priapium fish, is a family of atheriniform fish native to freshwater and brackish habitats in southeast Asia. They are small, no more than in length, with partially translucent bodies. They are found in fresh ...

(priapiumfishes) **** Family

Atherinidae The Old World silversides are a family, Atherinidae, of fish in the order Atheriniformes. Atherinidae are abundant and considered bony fish (teleost) that are widespread globally, living in rivers, estuaries, and coastal waters. They occur worl ...

(Old World silversides) ** Order

Beloniformes Beloniformes is an order composed of six families (and about 264 species) of freshwater and marine ray-finned fish: * Adrianichthyidae (ricefish and medakas) * Belonidae (needlefish) * Exocoetidae (flyingfishes) * Hemiramphidae (halfbeaks) ...

*** Suborder Adrianichthyoidei **** Family

Adrianichthyidae The ricefishes are a family (Adrianichthyidae) of small ray-finned fish that are found in fresh and brackish waters from India to Japan and out into the Malay Archipelago, most notably Sulawesi (where the Lake Poso and Lore Lindu species are ...

*** Suborder

Exocoetoidei Exocoetoidei is a suborder of the order Beloniformes, which is sometimes known as the Belonoidei. It contains two superfamilies and five families. Classification Exocoetoidei is classified as follows: * Suborder Exocoetoidei ** Superfamily ...

**** Superfamily

Exocoetoidea Exocoetoidea is a superfamily of fishes that comprises three families, the flying fishes, the halfbeaks and the viviparous halfbeaks. They are found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world. Exocoetoidea is part of the suborder Exoc ...

***** Family

Exocoetidae The Exocoetidae are a family of marine fish in the order Beloniformes class Actinopterygii, known colloquially as flying fish or flying cod. About 64 species are grouped in seven to nine genera. While they cannot fly in the same way a bird ...

(flying fishes) ***** Family

Hemiramphidae Hemiramphidae is a family of fishes that are commonly called halfbeaks, spipe fish or spipefish. They are a geographically widespread and numerically abundant family of epipelagic fish inhabiting warm waters around the world. The halfbeaks are ...

(Halfbeaks) ***** Family

Zenarchopteridae Zenarchopteridae, the viviparous halfbeaks, is a family in the order Beloniformes. The Zenarchopteridae exhibit strong sexual dimorphism, practicing internal fertilisation, and in some cases ovoviviparous or viviparous (the family also includes ...

(viviparous halfbeaks) **** Superfamily

Scomberesocoidea Scomberesocoidea is a superfamily within the suborder Exocoetoidei of the order Beloniformes. It consists of two families which are commonly known as the needlefishes and the sauries. Classification The two families within the suborder Scomb ...

***** Family

Belonidae Needlefish (family Belonidae) or long toms are piscivorous fishes primarily associated with very shallow marine habitats or the surface of the open sea. Some genera include species found in marine, brackish, and freshwater environments (e.g., ...

(needlefishes) ***** Family

Scomberesocidae Sauries are fish of the family Scomberesocidae. There are two genera, each containing two species. The name Scomberesocidae is derived from the ''scomber'', which in turn is derived from the Greek ''skombros'', meaning "mackerel", and the Latin ...

(sauries) ** Order

Cyprinodontiformes Cyprinodontiformes is an order of ray-finned fish, comprising mostly small, freshwater fish. Many popular aquarium fish, such as killifish and live-bearers, are included. They are closely related to the Atheriniformes and are occasionally inc ...

*** Suborder

Aplocheiloidei Aplocheiloidei is a suborder of the order Cyprinodontiformes consisting of three families which are commonly known as killifishes. Families The three families within the suborder Aplocheiloidei are: * Aplocheilidae Bleeker, 1859 * Nothobran ...

**** Family

Aplocheilidae Aplocheilidae, the Asian killifishes or Asian rivulines, is a family of fish in the order Cyprinodontiformes found in Asia. Some authorities use this family-group name, which is well-established, for a single lumped aplocheiloid family as it giv ...

(Asian rivulines) **** Family

Nothobranchiidae Nothobranchiidae are a family of bony fishes containing roughly 300 species, also known as African rivulines. They are small killifish, usually measuring about . They are limited to Africa, living in fresh water but being also somewhat salt-tol ...

(African rivulines) **** Family

Rivulidae The Rivulidae are a family of killifishes in the order Cyprinodontiformes. They are commonly known as rivulids, South American killifish or New World killifish. The latter names are slightly misleading, however, as they are neither restricted to ...

(New World rivulines) *** Suborder Cyprinodontoidei **** Superfamily

Funduloidea The ''Funduloidea'' is a superfamily of fishes in the suborder Cyprinodontoidei, one of two suborders which make up the order Cyprinodontiformes. It is one of four superfamilies within the suborder. Families There are three families in the supe ...

***** Family Profundulidae (Middle American killifishes) ***** Family

Goodeidae Goodeidae is a family of teleost fish endemic to Mexico and some areas of the United States. Many species are known as splitfins. This family contains about 50 species within 18 genera. The family is named after ichthyologist George Brown Goode ...

***** Family

Fundulidae Fundulidae is the family of topminnows and North American killifishes. Distribution The 46 species are native to North America as far south as Yucatan, and to the islands of Bermuda and Cuba, occurring in both freshwater and marine environments ...

(topminnows) **** Superfamily Valencioidea ***** Family

Valenciidae ''Valencia'' is the only genus in the family Valenciidae. ''Valencia'' is a genus of ray-finned fishes. It is sometimes grouped into the family Cyprinodontidae. Members of this genus are restricted to southern Europe. Species There are curre ...

(Valencia toothcarps) **** Superfamily Cyprinodontoidea ***** Family Cyprinodontidae (pupfishes) **** Superfamily Poecilioidea ***** Family

Anablepidae Anablepidae is a family of fishes which live in brackish and freshwater habitats from southern Mexico to southern South America. There are three genera with sixteen species: the four-eyed fishes (genus '' Anableps''), the onesided livebearers (ge ...

(four-eyed fish) ***** Family

Poecilidae The Poeciliidae are a family of freshwater fishes of the order Cyprinodontiformes, the tooth-carps, and include well-known live-bearing aquarium fish, such as the guppy, molly, platy, and swordtail. The original distribution of the family was ...

(livebearers) The sister clades to the Ovalentaria is the group of taxa called the Carangimorpharia or Carangaria, which includes the flatfishes,

billfish The term billfish refers to a group of saltwater predatory fish characterised by prominent pointed bills (rostra), and by their large size; some are longer than . Extant billfish include sailfish and marlin, which make up the family Istioph ...

es, and jacks among others.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2042188 Ray-finned fish orders Percomorpha