Percomorpha () is an extremely large and diverse

clade In biology, a clade (), also known as a Monophyly, monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that is composed of a common ancestor and all of its descendants. Clades are the fundamental unit of cladistics, a modern approach t ...

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fish or actinopterygians, is a class of bony fish that comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. They are so called because of their lightly built fins made of webbings of sk ...

. With more than 17,000 known species (including

tuna A tuna (: tunas or tuna) is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae ( mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bul ...

, seahorses,

gobies Gobiidae or gobies is a family of bony fish in the order Gobiiformes, one of the largest fish families comprising over 2,000 species in more than 200 genera. Most of gobiid fish are relatively small, typically less than in length, and the fam ...

cichlids Cichlids () are a large, diverse, and widespread family of Percomorpha, percomorph fish in the family (biology), family Cichlidae, order Cichliformes. At least 1,760 species have been Binomial nomenclature, scientifically described, making ...

flatfish A flatfish is a member of the Ray-finned fish, ray-finned demersal fish Order (biology), suborder Pleuronectoidei, also called the Heterosomata. In many species, both eyes lie on one side of the head, one or the other migrating through or around ...

wrasse The wrasses are a family, Labridae, of marine ray-finned fish, many of which are brightly colored. The family is large and diverse, with over 600 species in 81 genera, which are divided into nine subgroups or tribes. They are typically small, ...

, perches,

anglerfish The anglerfish are ray-finned fish in the order Lophiiformes (). Both the order's common name, common and scientific name comes from the characteristic mode of predation, in which a modified dorsal Fish fin#Ray-fins, fin ray acts as a Aggressiv ...

, and

pufferfish Tetraodontidae is a family of marine and freshwater fish in the order Tetraodontiformes. The family includes many familiar species variously called pufferfish, puffers, balloonfish, blowfish, blowers, blowies, bubblefish, globefish, swellfis ...

) known from both marine and freshwater ecosystems, it is the most speciose clade of extant

vertebrates Vertebrates () are animals with a vertebral column (backbone or spine), and a cranium, or skull. The vertebral column surrounds and protects the spinal cord, while the cranium protects the brain. The vertebrates make up the subphylum Vertebra ...

Evolution

Percomorpha are the most diverse group of

teleost Teleostei (; Ancient Greek, Greek ''teleios'' "complete" + ''osteon'' "bone"), members of which are known as teleosts (), is, by far, the largest group of ray-finned fishes (class Actinopterygii), with 96% of all neontology, extant species of f ...

fish today. Teleosts, and percomorphs in particular, thrived during the

Cenozoic The Cenozoic Era ( ; ) is Earth's current geological era, representing the last 66million years of Earth's history. It is characterized by the dominance of mammals, insects, birds and angiosperms (flowering plants). It is the latest of three g ...

era An era is a span of time. Era or ERA may also refer to: * Era (geology), a subdivision of geologic time * Calendar era Education * Academy of European Law (German: '), an international law school * ERA School, in Melbourne, Australia * E ...

. Fossil evidence shows that there was a major increase in size and abundance of teleosts immediately after the

mass extinction event An extinction event (also known as a mass extinction or biotic crisis) is a widespread and rapid decrease in the biodiversity on Earth. Such an event is identified by a sharp fall in the diversity and abundance of multicellular organisms. It occ ...

at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary ago. The oldest known percomorph fossils are of the early tetraodontiforms '' Protriacanthus'' and Cretatriacanthidae from the

Santonian The Santonian is an age in the geologic timescale or a chronostratigraphic stage. It is a subdivision of the Late Cretaceous Epoch or Upper Cretaceous Series. It spans the time between 86.3 ± 0.7 mya ( million years ago) and 83.6 ± 0.7 m ...

Campanian The Campanian is the fifth of six ages of the Late Cretaceous epoch on the geologic timescale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS). In chronostratigraphy, it is the fifth of six stages in the Upper Cretaceous Series. Campa ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

and

Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...

. A higher diversity of early percomorphs is also known from the

Nardò Nardò ( or ; ) is a town and ''comune'' in the southern Italian region of Apulia, in the Province of Lecce. Lies on a lowland area placed at south-west of its Province, its border includes part of the Ionian coast of Salento. For centuries, i ...

, Italy, and these also show some level of diversification into modern orders, with representatives of the

Syngnathiformes The Syngnathiformes are an order of ray-finned fishes that includes the leafy seadragons, sea moths, trumpetfishes and seahorses, among others.FishBase (2005)Order Summary for Syngnathiformes Version of 2005-FEB-15. Retrieved 19 Aug 2008. Th ...

and Tetraodontiformes known. Possibly the oldest percomorph is '' Plectocretacicus'' from the

Cenomanian The Cenomanian is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy's (ICS) geological timescale, the oldest or earliest age (geology), age of the Late Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch or the lowest stage (stratigraphy), stage of the Upper Cretace ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

, which may be a stem-tetraodontiform; however, some morphological analyses indicate that it shows similarities with non-percomorph groups. Evolution of ray-finned fish

Taxonomy

Many of the orders placed in Percomorpha today were originally placed in an expanded

Perciformes Perciformes (), also called the Acanthopteri, is an order or superorder of ray-finned fish in the clade Percomorpha. ''Perciformes'' means " perch-like". Among the well-known members of this group are perches and darters ( Percidae), and als ...

, hence many sources often referring to that order as the most diverse vertebrate clade. However, more recent studies have found such a placement to be paraphyletic, and many have thus been moved to their orders within Percomorpha. The Percomorpha are an extremely diverse group with at least 22 orders according to

Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes Catalog of Fishes is a comprehensive on-line database and reference work on the scientific names of fish species and genera. It is global in its scope and is hosted by the California Academy of Sciences. It has been compiled and is continuously up ...

. Other authorities find a different number of orders depending on the classification used. The following taxonomy is based on Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes (2025), with additional suborders based on other studies: * Clade Percomorpha ** Subseries Ophidiida *** Order

Ophidiiformes Ophidiiformes is an order of ray-finned fish that includes the cusk-eels (family Ophidiidae), pearlfishes (family Carapidae), viviparous brotulas (family Bythitidae), and others. Members of this order have small heads and long slender bodies. ...

**** Suborder Ophidioidei –

cusk-eels The cusk-eel family, Ophidiidae, is a group of marine bony fishes in the Ophidiiformes order. The scientific name is from the Greek ''ophis'' meaning "snake", and refers to their eel-like appearance. True eels diverged from other ray-finn ...

, pearlfishes and allies (4 families) **** Suborder Bythoidei –

viviparous In animals, viviparity is development of the embryo inside the body of the mother, with the maternal circulation providing for the metabolic needs of the embryo's development, until the mother gives birth to a fully or partially developed juve ...

and false brotulas (2 families) ** Subseries Batrachoidida *** Order

Batrachoidiformes Batrachoididae is the only family in the ray-finned fish order Batrachoidiformes . Members of this family are usually called toadfish or frogfish: both the English common name and scientific name refer to their toad-like appearance (''batrakhos ...

– toadfishes (1 family) ** Subseries Gobiida *** Order

Gobiiformes Gobiiformes (meaning "goby-like") is an order of percomorph fish containing three suborders: Apogonoidei, Trichonotoidei, and Gobioidei. The order was formerly defined as containing only the gobies (now placed within the Gobioidei). However, ...

**** Suborder

Apogonoidei The Apogonoidei is a suborder of gobiiform fish consisting of two families: the Indo-Pacific Kurtidae (consisting solely of two species in the genus ''Kurtus'') and the much more diverse and widespread Apogonidae (the cardinalfishes). The order ...

(=order

Kurtiformes The Apogonoidei is a suborder of Gobiiformes, gobiiform fish consisting of two families: the Indo-Pacific Kurtidae (consisting solely of two species in the genus ''Kurtus'') and the much more diverse and widespread Apogonidae (the cardinalfishes) ...

'' sensu auct.'') – nurseryfishes and cardinalfishes (2 families) **** Suborder Trichonotoidei – sand divers (1 family) **** Suborder

Gobioidei The Gobioidei are a suborder of percomorph fish. Many of these fishes are called gobies. It is by far the largest and most diverse order within the order Gobiiformes, and one of the most diverse groups of ray-finned fish in general. The suborde ...

–

, sleepers and allies (7 families) ** Subseries Syngnatharia *** Order

**** Suborder Dactylopteroidei – seamoths and flying gurnards (2 families) **** Suborder Mulloidei – goatfishes (1 family) **** Suborder Callionymoidei –

dragonets Dragonets are small percomorph marine fish of the diverse family Callionymidae (from the Greek ''kallis'', "beautiful" and ', "name") found mainly in the tropical waters of the western Indo-Pacific. They are benthic organisms, spending most of ...

(2 families) **** Suborder

Syngnathoidei The Syngnathiformes are an order of ray-finned fishes that includes the leafy seadragons, sea moths, trumpetfishes and seahorses, among others.FishBase (2005)Order Summary for Syngnathiformes Version of 2005-FEB-15. Retrieved 19 Aug 2008. Th ...

– seahorses,

pipefish Pipefishes or pipe-fishes (Syngnathinae) are a subfamily of small fishes, which, together with the seahorses and seadragons ('' Phycodurus'' and '' Phyllopteryx''), form the family Syngnathidae. Description Pipefish look like straight-bodied s ...

trumpetfish The trumpetfishes are three species of highly specialized, tubularly-elongated marine fishes in the genus ''Aulostomus'', of the monogeneric family Aulostomidae. The trumpetfishes are members of the order Syngnathiformes, together with the Syngn ...

, cornetfish and shrimpfishes (5 families) ** Subseries Pelagiaria *** Order

Scombriformes Scombriformes, also known as Pelagia and Pelagiaria, is an order of ray-finned fish within the clade Percomorpha. It contains 287 extant species in 16 families, most of which were previously classified under the suborders Scombroidei and Stroma ...

**** Suborder

Stromateoidei Stromateoidei is a suborder of marine ray-finned fish within the order Scombriformes. It includes the medusafishes, squaretails and driftfishes which associate with jellyfish, the latter families preying on them while the medusafish use them fo ...

– medusafishes, driftfishes, butterfishes, squaretails, ariommas and allies (6 families) **** Suborder

Scombroidei Scombroidei or Scombrales is a suborder or infraorder of the order Scombriformes or suborder Scombroidei. The suborder or infraorder includes the tunas, mackerel and snake-mackerels. Regular scombrids are observed to have large heads, eyes, and ...

–

mackerel Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of pelagic fish, mostly from the family Scombridae. They are found in both temperate and tropical seas, mostly living along the coast or offshore in the oceanic environment. ...

, tunas, manefishes, pomfrets, cutlassfishes,

bluefish The bluefish (''Pomatomus saltatrix'') is the only extant species of the family Pomatomidae. It is a marine pelagic fish found around the world in temperate and subtropical waters, except for the northern Pacific Ocean. Bluefish are known as ta ...

, swallowers,

ragfish The ragfish (''Icosteus aenigmaticus'') is a ray-finned fish of the northern Pacific Ocean; although classified as a bony fish, its skeleton is mostly cartilage, and the larvae have pelvic fins that disappear as they mature. It is the sole member ...

and allies (10 families) ** Subseries Anabantaria *** Order

Synbranchiformes Synbranchiformes, often called swamp eels, though that name can also refer specifically to Synbranchidae, is an order of ray-finned fishes that are eel-like but have spiny rays, indicating that they belong to the superorder Acanthopterygii. ...

**** Suborder Mastacembeloidei – freshwater spiny eels and earthworm eels (2 families) **** Suborder Indostomoidei – armored sticklebacks (1 family) **** Suborder Synbranchoidei – swamp eels (1 family) *** Order

Anabantiformes The Anabantiformes , is an Order (biology), order of bony fish (Teleostei) proposed in 2009. They are collectively known as labyrinth fish, are an Order (biology), order of air-breathing freshwater Actinopterygii, ray-finned fish with three sub ...

**** Suborder

Anabantoidei The Anabantoidei are a suborder of Anabantiformes, anabantiform ray-finned fish, ray-finned freshwater fish distinguished by their possession of a lung-like labyrinth organ, which enables them to breathe air. The fish in the Anabantoidei suborder ...

– gouramies and fighting fishes (3 families) **** Suborder Channoidei – snakeheads (2 families) **** Suborder Nandoidei – Asian leaffishes, chameleonfishes, and mudperches (3 families) ** Subseries Carangaria *** Order

Carangiformes Carangiformes is a large, diverse order of ray-finned fishes within the clade Percomorpha. It is part of a sister clade to the Ovalentaria, alongside its sister group, the Anabantaria (including Anabantiformes and Synbranchiformes). The Cara ...

**** Suborder Centropomoidei – barracudas, lates perches, snooks and false trevally (4 families) **** Suborder

Pleuronectoidei A flatfish is a member of the ray-finned demersal fish suborder Pleuronectoidei, also called the Heterosomata. In many species, both eyes lie on one side of the head, one or the other migrating through or around the head during development. S ...

– flatfishes and threadfins (17 families) **** Suborder Toxotoidei – archerfishes and beachsalmons (2 families) **** Suborder Nematistioidei – roosterfish (1 family) **** Suborder

Menoidei Menoidei is a suborder of ray-finned fishes belonging to the class Actinopterygii, a diverse group of vertebrates characterized by their bony skeletons. The suborder Menoidei includes the family Menidae, family Xiphiidae and family Istiophorida ...

– moonfish and billfishes (3 families) **** Suborder

Carangoidei Carangiformes is a large, diverse order of ray-finned fishes within the clade Percomorpha. It is part of a sister clade to the Ovalentaria, alongside its sister group, the Anabantaria (including Anabantiformes and Synbranchiformes). The Carangifor ...

– jacks, trevallies, pompanos, remoras, cobias and dolphinfishes (4 families) ** Subseries

Ovalentaria Ovalentaria is a clade of ray-finned fishes within the Percomorpha, referred to as a subseries. It is made up of a group of fish families which are referred to in ''Fishes of the World's'' fifth edition as'' incertae sedis'', as well as the order ...

*** Order

Atheriniformes The Atheriniformes, also known as the silversides, are an order of ray-finned fishes that includes the Old & New World silversides, the rainbowfishes, and several less-familiar families, including the unusual Phallostethidae. The order incl ...

**** Suborder Atherinopsoidei – Neotropical silversides (1 family) **** Suborder Atherinoidei – Old World silversides, rainbowfishes, priapumfishes and allies (10 families) *** 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 (halfb ...

**** Suborder

Adrianichthyoidei The ricefishes are a family (biology), 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 Lin ...

– ricefishes and buntingis (1 family) **** Suborder Belonoidei – sauries, needlefishes, halfbeaks and flyingfishes (5 families) *** Order

Cyprinodontiformes Cyprinodontiformes is an order (biology), order of Actinopterygii, ray-finned fish, comprising mostly small, freshwater fish. Many popular aquarium fish, such as killifish and Poeciliidae, live-bearers, are included. They are closely related t ...

**** Suborder

Aplocheiloidei Aplocheiloidei is a suborder of the Order (biology), order Cyprinodontiformes consisting of three Family (biology), families which are commonly known as killifishes. Families The three families within the suborder Aplocheiloidei are: * Aplochei ...

– Old and New World rivulines (3 families) **** Suborder

Cyprinodontoidei Cyprinodontoidei is a suborder of fishes, one of the two suborders in the order Cyprinodontiformes. The Cyprinodontoidei consists of eleven families which are found in the Americas, the Mediterranean and in Africa, including Madagascar. Classi ...

– killifishes, pupfishes, splitfins, livebearers, lampeyes and four-eyed fishes (11 families) *** Order

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. The earliest fossils are known from the Eoc ...

–

, leaffishes and convict blenny (3 families) *** Order

Mugiliformes Mugiliformes is a small order of percomorph fish in the clade Ovalentaria. This order is recognized by the Catalog of Fishes (2025). It contains only two families: * Mugilidae Jarocki, 1822 - mullets (57 species) * Ambassidae Klunzinger, 1870 ...

– mullets and Asiatic glassfishes (2 families) *** Order

Blenniiformes Blenniiformes is an order of percomorph fish in the clade Ovalentaria, of which it is the most diverse group. This order contains several well-known fish groups such as blennies and damselfish. The term is derived from the Latin word '' blenn ...

**** Unranked clades – dottybacks,

roundheads Roundheads were the supporters of the Parliament of England during the English Civil War (1642–1651). Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I of England and his supporters, known as the Cavaliers or Royalists, who ...

, damselfishes, clownfishes, surfperches and jawfishes (6 families) **** Suborder Gobiesocoidei – clingfishes (1 family) **** Suborder Blennioidei –

blennies Blennies (from the Greek and , mucus, slime) are a diverse clade of ray-finned fish in the suborder Blennioidei of the percomorph order Blenniiformes. They inhabit marine, brackish, and occasionally freshwater habitats, and generally share simi ...

(6 families) ** Subseries

Eupercaria Percomorpha () is an extremely large and diverse clade of ray-finned fish. With more than 17,000 known species (including tuna, seahorses, gobies, cichlids, flatfish, wrasse, perches, anglerfish, and pufferfish) known from both marine and fresh ...

*** Order

**** Suborder

Percoidei Percoidei is a suborder of bony fishes in the order Perciformes. Many commercially harvested fish species are considered to be contained in this suborder, including the groupers, Serranidae, seabasses and perches. Divisions The following classif ...

– perches,

darters The darters, anhingas, or snakebirds are mainly tropical waterbirds in the family Anhingidae, which contains a single genus, ''Anhinga''. There are four living species, three of which are very common and widespread while the fourth is rarer and c ...

, seabasses, groupers, anthias, weeverfishes and duckbills (9 families) **** Suborder

Notothenioidei Notothenioidei is one of 19 suborders of the order Perciformes. The group is found mainly in Antarctic and Subantarctic waters, with some species ranging north to southern Australia and southern South America. Notothenioids constitute approximat ...

– icefishes, toothfishes, Antarctic dragonfishes and allies (8 families) **** Suborder

Scorpaenoidei Scorpaenoidei is a suborder of Actinopterygii, ray-finned fishes, part of the Order (biology), order Perciformes, that includes the scorpionfishes, lionfishes and velvetfishes. This suborder is at its most diverse in the Pacific and Indian Oceans ...

– scorpionfishes, stonefishes, rockfishes, flatheads, searobins and allies (11 families) **** Suborder

Cottoidei Cottoidei is a suborder of ray-finned fishes which, according to the 5th edition of ''Fishes of the World'', is placed within the order Scorpaeniformes, alongside the scorpionfishes, flatheads, eelpouts, sticklebacks and related fishes. Taxon ...

– sculpins, psychrolutes, snailfishes, sablefishes, greenlings,

poachers Poaching is the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals, usually associated with land use rights. Poaching was once performed by impoverished peasants for subsistence purposes and to supplement meager diets. It was set against the hunti ...

, sandfishes, lumpfishes and allies (11 families) **** Suborder

Gasterosteoidei Gasterosteoidei is a suborder of ray-finned fishes that includes the sticklebacks and relatives, the 5th edition of ''Fishes of the World'' classifies this suborder within the order Scorpaeniformes. Systematics Gasterosteoidei is treated as ...

– sticklebacks, Korean sandlance and tubesnouts (3 families) **** Suborder

Zoarcoidei Zoarcoidei is a suborder of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the Order (biology), order Perciformes. The suborder includes the wolffishes, Pholidae, gunnels and eelpouts. The suborder includes about 400 species. These fishes are predominantl ...

– eelpouts, wolffishes, pricklebacks, gunnels, prowfish and allies (14 families) *** Order

Centrarchiformes Centrarchiformes is an order of ray-finned fish, previously included amongst the perciformes. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. (2023). FishBase. Centrarchiformes. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies. ...

**** Suborder Percalatoidei – Australian basses (1 undescribed family) **** Suborder Terapontoidei – grunters,

sea chubs The sea chubs, also known as rudderfish and pilot fish and in Hawaiian language, Hawaiian as ''enenue'' or ''nenue'', are a family (biology), family, Kyphosidae, (from Greek, ''kyphos'' = hump) of fishes in the order Perciformes native to the At ...

, flagtails, knifejaws, stripeys and allies (9 families) **** Suborder Centrarchoidei – freshwater sunfish, Chinese perches, oldwives,

temperate perch Percichthyidae, the temperate perches, are a family of freshwater ray-finned fish found in Australia and southern South America. Formerly placed in the order Perciformes, they are now placed in the order Centrarchiformes. The name Percichthyida ...

, jutjaws and allies (7 families) **** Suborder Cirrhitioidei – hawkfishes, kelpfishes, marblefishes, fingerfins and trumpeters (5 families) *** Order

Labriformes Labriformes is an Order (biology), order of ray-finned fishes within the clade Percomorpha. Some authors include the Labriformes as the clade Labroidei within the Perciformes while others include more Family (biology), families within the Labrif ...

**** Suborder

Labroidei Labriformes is an Order (biology), order of ray-finned fishes within the clade Percomorpha. Some authors include the Labriformes as the clade Labroidei within the Perciformes while others include more Family (biology), families within the Labrif ...

– wrasses, parrotfishes, false scorpionfish and weed whitings (3 families) **** Suborder Uranoscopoidei – sandlances, stargazers, southern sandfishes, sandperches and torrentfish (5 families) *** Order

Acropomatiformes The Acropomatiformes or Pempheriformes are an order of fish from the group of perch relatives Percomorpha. The relationship of the families assigned to the Acropomatiformes is based on molecular biological studies and is not yet supported by mor ...

(=Pempheriformes) – lanternbellies,

sweepers A street sweeper or street cleaner is a person or machine that cleans streets. People have worked in cities as "sanitation workers" since sanitation and Waste management, waste removal became a priority. A street-sweeping person would use a b ...

, gnomefishes, wreckfishes, banjofish, oceanic basslets, armorheads and allies (20 families) *** Order

Acanthuriformes Acanthuriformes is a large, diverse order of mostly marine ray-finned fishes, part of the Percomorpha clade. In the past, members of this clade were placed in the suborders Acanthuroidea and Percoidea of the order Perciformes, but this treatment ...

– surgeonfishes, butterflyfishes, rabbitfishes, marine angelfishes, drumfish, grunts, ponyfishes, mojarras, snappers, temperate basses, spadefishes, porgies,

moonyfish Monodactylidae is a family of perciform bony fish commonly referred to as monos, moonyfishes or fingerfishes. All are strongly laterally compressed with disc-shaped bodies and tall anal and dorsal fins. Unusually for fish, scales occur on their d ...

, tripletails,

tilefish file:Malacanthus latovittatus.jpg, 250px, Blue blanquillo, ''Malacanthus latovittatus'' Tilefishes are mostly small perciform marine fish comprising the family (biology), family Malacanthidae. They are usually found in sandy areas, especially n ...

, scats, bigeyes, boarfishes and allies (30 families) *** Order

Lophiiformes The anglerfish are ray-finned fish in the order Lophiiformes (). Both the order's common and scientific name comes from the characteristic mode of predation, in which a modified dorsal fin ray acts as a lure for prey (akin to a human angler, ...

–

**** Suborder

Lophioidei Goosefishes, sometimes called anglers or monkfishes, are a family, the Lophiidae, of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the order Lophiiformes, the anglerfishes. The family includes 30 recognized species. These fishes are found in all the ...

– goosefishes (1 family) **** Suborder

Ogcocephaloidei Ogcocephalidae is a family of anglerfish specifically adapted for a benthic lifestyle of crawling about on the seafloor. Ogcocephalid anglerfish are sometimes referred to as batfishes,batfishes (1 family) **** Suborder

Antennarioidei Antennarioidei is a suborder of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the order Lophiiformes, the anglerfishes. Taxonomy Antennarioidei was first proposed as a taxonomic grouping in 1912 by the English ichthyologist Charles Tate Regan. The 5th e ...

– frogfishes and handfishes (7 families) **** Suborder Chaunacoidei – sea toads (1 family) **** Suborder

Ceratioidei Ceratioidei, the deep-sea anglerfishes or pelagic anglerfishes, is a suborder of marine ray-finned fishes, one of five suborders in the order Lophiiformes, the anglerfishes. These fishes are found in tropical and temperate seas throughout the wor ...

–

deep-sea anglerfish Ceratioidei, the deep-sea anglerfishes or pelagic anglerfishes, is a suborder of marine Actinopterygii, ray-finned fishes, one of five suborders in the Order (biology), order Lophiiformes, the anglerfishes. These fishes are found in tropical and t ...

(11 families) *** Order

Tetraodontiformes Tetraodontiformes (), also known as the Plectognathi, is an order of ray-finned fishes which includes the pufferfishes and related taxa. This order has been classified as a suborder of the order Perciformes, although recent studies have found ...

**** Suborder Triacanthoidei – spikefishes and triplespines (2 families) **** Suborder Tetraodontoidei – pufferfishes, porcupinefishes, ocean sunfishes and allies (4 families) **** Suborder Balistoidei – boxfishes, filefishes, triggerfishes and allies (4 families)

Phylogeny

External relationships

The two

cladogram A cladogram (from Greek language, Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladistics to show relations among organisms. A cladogram is not, however, an Phylogenetic tree, evolutionary tree because it does not s ...

s below are based on Betancur-R ''et al.'', 2017. Percomorphs are a

fishes. The first cladogram shows the interrelationships of percomorphs with other living groups of teleosts.

Internal relationships

The following cladogram shows the evolutionary relationships of the various groups of

extant Extant or Least-concern species, least concern is the opposite of the word extinct. It may refer to: * Extant hereditary titles * Extant literature, surviving literature, such as ''Beowulf'', the oldest extant manuscript written in English * Exta ...

percomorph fishes:

References

{{Taxonbar, from= Q22109111, from2=Q258278 Vertebrate unranked clades Taxa named by Edward Drinker Cope