Stephanoberyciformes

Taxobox
name = Stephanoberyciformes

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image_width = 240px
image_caption = "Scopelogadus mizolepis mizolepis", a ridgehead
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
superclassis = Osteichthyes
classis = Actinopterygii
subclassis = Neopterygii
infraclassis = Teleostei
superordo = Acanthopterygii
ordo = Stephanoberyciformes
subdivision_ranks = Families
subdivision =
Gibberichthyidae

Hispidoberycidae

Melamphaidae

Stephanoberycidae

The Stephanoberyciformes are an order of marine ray-finned fishes, consisting of about 45 species, the majority (37) of which belong to the ridgehead family (Melamphaidae). The Stephanoberyciformes are mostly uncommon deep-sea species with little if any importance to commercial fishery. They share many morphological similarities with the Beryciformes, their sister order.

Some sources [E.g. Nelson (2006)] classify their other close relatives, the whalefishes, as a superfamily herein, named Cetomimoidea. Most taxa traditionally placed here would then be the Stephanoberyciodea.

The families are:
* Melamphaidae – ridgeheads
* Gibberichthyidae – gibberfishes
* Stephanoberycidae – pricklefishes
* Hispidoberycidae

Common characteristics include a generally rounded body, a toothless palate, rather thin skull bones, and a missing orbitosphenoid bone (except for "Hispidoberyx").

The gibberfishes on the other hand appear to be closer to whalefishes such as "Rondeletia", as has been proposed times and again. These two groups have - apparently as only living fishes - the mysterious Tominaga's organ. "Rondeletia", meanwhile, is suspected to be very close to the velvet whalefish, "Barbourisia rufa". [Paxton "et al." (2001)]

Footnotes

References

* (2006): "Fishes of the World" (4th ed.). ISBN 0-471-25031-7
* (2001): Larvae and juveniles of the deepsea "whalefishes" "Barbourisia" and "Rondeletia" (Stephanoberyciformes: Barbourisiidae, Rondeletiidae), with comments on family relationships. "Records of the Australian Museum" 53(3): 407-425. [http://www.amonline.net.au/pdf/publications/1352_complete.pdf PDF fulltext]

External links

*FishBase_order|order=Stephanoberyciformes|year=2005|month=March