Atheriniformes

Taxobox
name = Silversides


image_width = 250px
image_caption = Boeseman's rainbowfish, "Melanotaenia boesemani", red variety
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Atheriniformes
subdivision_ranks = Families
subdivision = See text.

Atheriniformes, also known as the silversides, is an order of ray-finned fish that includes the Old World silversides and several less-familiar families, including the unusual Phallostethidae.

Description

Members of the order usually have two dorsal fins, the first with flexible spines, and an anal fin with one spine at the front. The lateral line is typically weak or absent. Atheriniform larvae share several characteristics; the gut is unusually short, there is a single row of melanophores along the back, and the fin rays do not become evident until some time after hatching.

Taxonomy

Classification of the atheriniforms is uncertain, with the best evidence for monophyly in the larval characteristics mentioned below.

Nelson, 2006, the family Melanotaeniidae includes the subfamilies Bedotiinae, Melanotaeniinae, Pseudomugilinae, and Telmatherininae, to demonstrate their monophyly.cite book|title=Fishes of the World|last=Nelson|first=Joseph S.|publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Inc|year=2006|isbn=0-471-25031-7] However, in a 2004 study, a different classification scheme classifies the families Bedotiidae, Melanotaeniidae, and Pseudomugilidae (also include Telmatherinine genera) in a suborder Melanotaenioidei.cite journal|url=http://research.amnh.org/scicomp/pdfs/Sparks_Smith2004b.pdf|title=Phylogeny and biogeography of the Malagasy and Australasian rainbowfishes (Teleostei: Melanotaenioidei): Gondwanan vicariance and evolution in freshwater|first=John S.|last=Sparks|coauthors=Smith, W. Leo|journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution|volume=33|year=2004|pages=719–734|format=PDF|doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2004.07.002] Thus, the number of families in Atheriniformes varies from author to author.

Classification under Nelson, 2006:

Order Atheriniformes
*Suborder Atherinopsoidei
**Family Atherinopsidae (Neotropical silversides)
***Subfamily Atherinopsinae
****Tribe Atherinopsini
****Tribe Sorgentinini
***Subfamily Menidiinae
****Tribe Menidiini
****Tribe Membradini
*Suborder Atherinoidei
**Infraorder Notocheiroida
***Family Notocheiridae
**Infraorder Atherinoida
***Family Melanotaeniidae
****Subfamily Bedotiinae
****Subfamily Melanotaeniinae (rainbowfishes)
****Subfamily Pseudomugilinae (blue eyes)
****Subfamily Telmatherininae (sailfin silversides)
***Family Atherionidae
***Family Phallostethidae
****Subfamily Dentatherininae
****Subfamily Phallostethinae
*****Tribe Phallostethini
*****Tribe Gulaphallini
***Family Atherinidae (silversides)
****Subfamily Atherinomorinae
****Subfamily Craterocephalinae
****Subfamily Atherininae

References