| Perciformes | ||||||||
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Suborder Percoidei
Carangidae (jacks) Centrarchidae (freshwater sunfishes) Centropomidae (snooks) Chaetodontidae (butterflyfishes) Coryphaenidae (dolphinfishes) Echeneidae (remoras) Haemulidae (grunts) Mullidae (goatfishes) Percidae (perches and darters) Pomatomidae (bluefishes) Sciaenidae (drums) Serranidae (groupers) Sparidae (porgies) Toxotidae (archerfishes) (60 more) Suborder Elassomatoidei Elassomatidae (pygmy sunfishes) Suborder Labroidei Cichlidae (cichlids) Labridae (wrasses) Pomacentridae (damselfishes) Scaridae (parrotfishes) Embiotocidae (surfperches) Odacidae Suborder Zoarcoidei Bathymasteridae (ronquils) Zoarcidae (eelpouts) Stichaeidae (pricklebacks) Cryptacanthodidae Pholidae Anarhichadidae Ptilichthyidae Zaproridae Scytalinidae Suborder Notothenioidei Bovichthyidae Nototheniidae Harpagiferidae (plunderfishes) Bathydraconidae Channichthyidae (crocodile icefishes) Suborder Trachinoidei Chiasmodontidae Champsodontidae Pholidichthyidae (convict blenny) Trichodontidae (sandfishes) Pinguipedidae (sandperches) Cheimarrhichthyidae Trichonotidae (sanddivers) Creediidae (sandburrowers) Percophidae (duckbills) Leptoscopidae Ammodytidae (sand lances) Trachinidae (weeverfishes) Uranoscopidae (stargazers) Suborder Blennioidei Tripterygiidae Labrisomidae Clinidae Chaenopsidae Dactyloscopidae Blenniidae Suborder Icosteoidei Icosteidae (ragfish) Suborder Gobiesocoidei Gobiesocidae (clingfishes) Suborder Callionymoidei Callionymidae Draconettidae Suborder Gobioidei Rhyacichthyidae Odontobutidae Eleotridae Gobiidae Kraemeriidae Microdesmidae Suborder Kurtoidei Kurtidae Suborder Acanthuroidei Ephippidae Scatophagidae Siganidae Luvaridae Zanclidae Acanthuridae Suborder Scombrolabracoidei Scombrolabracidae Suborder Scombroidei Sphyraenidae (barracudas) Gempylidae Trichiuridae Scombridae (mackerels and tunas) Xiphiidae Suborder Stromateoidei Amarsipidae Centrolophidae Nomeidae Ariommatidae Tetragonuridae Stromateidae Suborder Anabantoidei Luciocephalidae Anabantidae Helostomatidae Belontiidae Osphronemidae Suborder Channoidei Channidae (snakeheads) |
The Perciformes, also called the Percomorphi or Acanthopteri, include about 40% of all fish and are the largest order of vertebrates. The name Perciformes means perch-like. They belong to the ray-finned fish and comprise over 7000 different species, with varying shapes and sizes, found in almost all aquatic environments. They first appeared and diversified in the late Cretaceous.
Perciform fish typically have dorsal and anal fins divided into anterior spiny and posterior soft-rayed portions, which may be partially or completely separated. There are usually pelvic fins with one spine and up to five soft rays, either positioned by the throat or under the belly. Scales are usually ctenoid in form, though sometimes they are cycloid or otherwise modified. Various other, more technical characters define the group.
Classification is controversial. As traditionally defined the Perciformes are almost certainly paraphyletic. Other orders that should possibly be included as suborders are the Scorpaeniformes, Tetraodontiformes, and Pleuronectiformes. Of the presently recognized suborders several may be paraphyletic as well.