Teleosteomorpha Explained

Teleosteomorpha is a clade of ray-finned fishes containing all teleost fish and their closest extinct relatives.^[1] Also in this group are two diverse Mesozoic fish orders, the Aspidorhynchiformes and the Pachycormiformes.^[2] Several other non-teleostomorph teleosteans existed throughout the Mesozoic, although not as dominant as the two main clades in the group.

Shared morphological features of this group include a autosphenotic bone lacking a dermal component, the lack of a canal bearing part of the antorbital bone, the lack of vertebral centra fused into the occipital condyle in adult individuals, and each hypural (caudal fin support) being articulated with caudal rays.^[3]

The oldest known teleosteomorph is Prohalecites from the Triassic of Italy. The last surviving non-teleostean teleosteomorph was Belonostomus, which survived into the Late Paleocene.

Taxonomy

Cladogram of Teleosteomorpha after Sferco et al. 2021:^[4]

The cladogram below is simplified after a phylogenetic analysis by Bean (2021).^[5]

Where applicable, taxonomic order is based on the 5th edition of Fishes of the World:

Infraclass Teleosteomorpha
- Genus †Ruedersdorfia^[6]
- Genus †Seinstedtia^[7]
- Family †Atacamichthyidae
- Family †Barschichthyidae
- Family †Ichthyokentemidae
- Family †Marcopoloichthyidae
- Order †Prohaleciteiformes
- Division †Aspidorhynchei (Early Jurassic to Paleocene, not always found to be monophyletic)
  - Order †Aspidorhynchiformes
  - Order Pachycormiformes
- Division Teleostei (Middle Triassic to present)
  - Family †Archaeomaenidae
  - Family †Koonwarriidae
    - - Family †Luisiellidae Family †Pleuropholidae
  - Family †Siyuichthyidae
  - Family †Varasichthyidae^[8]
  - Order †Ankylophoriformes
  - Order †?Araripichthyiformes
  - Order †Ascalaboidiformes
  - Order †Catervarioliformes
  - Order †?Ligulelliiformes
  - Order †Pholidophoriformes
  - Order †Dorsetichthyiformes
  - Order †Leptolepidiformes
  - Order †Ichthyodectiformes
  - Supercohort Teleocephala
    - Order †Crossognathiformes (excluding Varasichthyidae)
    - Cohort Elopomorpha
      - Order Elopiformes, including the ladyfishes and tarpon
      - Order Albuliformes, the bonefishes
      - Order Notacanthiformes, including the halosaurs and spiny eels
      - Order Anguilliformes, the true eels
    - Clade Osteoglossocephala
      - Cohort Osteoglossomorpha
        Order †Lycopteriformes
        
        Order Osteoglossiformes, the bony-tongued fishes
        
        Order Hiodontiformes, including the mooneye and goldeye
      - Clade Clupeocephala
        Family †Orthogonikleithridae
        
        Order †Tselfatiiformes
        
        Cohort Otocephala
        Superorder Clupeomorpha
        Order †Ellimmichthyiformes
        
        Order Clupeiformes, including herrings and anchovies
        
        Superorder Ostariophysi
        Order †Sorbininardiformes
        
        Order Gonorynchiformes, including the milkfishes
        
        Order Cypriniformes, including barbs, carp, danios, goldfishes, loaches, minnows, rasboras
        
        Order Characiformes, including characins, pencilfishes, hatchetfishes, piranhas, tetras.
        
        Order Gymnotiformes, including electric eels and knifefishes
        
        Order Siluriformes, the catfishes
        
        Cohort Euteleostei
        Order Lepidogalaxiiformes, the salamanderfish
        
        Superorder Protacanthopterygii
        Order Salmoniformes, including salmon, Arctic char, and trout
        
        Order Esociformes, the pikes and mudminnows
        
        Superorder Osmeromorpha
        Order Argentiniformes, including the barreleyes and slickheads (formerly in Osmeriformes)
        
        Order Galaxiiformes, the galaxiids
        
        Order Osmeriformes, including the smelts
        
        Order Stomiiformes, including the bristlemouths and marine hatchetfishes
        
        Clade Neoteleostei
        Superorder Ateleopodomorpha
        Order Ateleopodiformes, the jellynose fish
        
        Clade Eurypterygii
        Superorder Cyclosquamata
        Order Aulopiformes, including the Bombay duck, tripod fish, and lancetfishes
        
        Clade Ctenosquamata
        Superorder Scopelomorpha
        Order Myctophiformes, including the lanternfishes
        
        Clade Acanthomorpha
        Order †Ctenothrissiformes
        
        Superorder Lampridiomorpha
        Order Lampriformes, including the oarfish, opah and ribbonfishes
        
        Clade Euacanthomorpha
        Superorder Paracanthopterygii
        Order Polymixiiformes, the beardfishes
        
        Order †Sphenocephaliformes
        
        Order Percopsiformes, including the cavefishes and trout-perches
        
        Order Zeiformes, including the dories
        
        Order Gadiformes, including cods
        
        Superorder Acanthopterygii
        Series Berycida
        Order Holocentriformes, including soldierfishes and squirrelfishes
        
        Order Trachichthyiformes, including slimeheads and fangtooths
        
        Order Beryciformes, including alfonsinos and pineconefishes
        
        Series Percomorpha
        Order Ophidiiformes, including the pearlfishes and cusk-eels
        
        Order Batrachoidiformes, the toadfishes
        
        Order Kurtiformes, including the cardinalfishes
        
        Order Gobiiformes, including the gobies
        
        Subseries Ovalentaria, including glassfishes, basslets, damselfishes, jawfishes, and others
        Order Mugiliformes, the mullets
        
        Order Cichliformes, the cichlids and convict blenny
        
        Order Blenniiformes, the blennies
        
        Order Gobiesociformes, the clingfishes^[9]
        
        Order Atheriniformes, including silversides and rainbowfishes
        
        Order Beloniformes, including the flyingfishes
        
        Order Cyprinodontiformes, including live-bearers, killifishes
        
        Order Synbranchiformes, including the swamp eels
        
        Order Carangiformes, including the jacks
        
        Order Istiophoriformes, the billfishes and barracudas
        
        Order Anabantiformes, including gouramis and snakeheads
        
        Order Pleuronectiformes, the flatfishes
        
        Order Syngnathiformes, including the seahorses and pipefishes^[10]
        
        Order Icosteiformes, the ragfish
        
        Order Callionymiformes, including the dragonets
        
        Order Scombralabraciformes, the longfin escolar
        
        Order Scombriformes, including mackerel and tunas
        
        Order Trachiniformes, including swallowers and stargazers
        
        Order Labriformes, including wrasses and parrotfishes
        
        Order Perciformes, including perches, scats, groupers, butterflyfishes, angelfishes, and others
        
        Order Scorpaeniformes, including scorpionfishes and the sculpins
        
        Order Moroniformes, including the temperate basses and spadefishes
        
        Order Acanthuriformes, including drums, surgeonfishes, and Moorish idols
        
        Order Spariformes, the breams and porgies
        
        Order Caproiformes, the boarfishes
        
        Order Lophiiformes, including the anglerfishes
        
        Order Tetraodontiformes, including the sunfish, filefishes and pufferfish

Notes and References

Arratia . Gloria . 2001-12-14 . The sister-group of Teleostei: consensus and disagreements . Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology . en . 21 . 4 . 767–773 . 10.1671/0272-4634(2001)021[0767:TSGOTC]2.0.CO;2 . 85895344 . 0272-4634.
Book: Nelson . Joseph S. . Fishes of the World . Grande . Terry C. . Wilson . Mark V. H. . 2016-02-22 . Wiley . 10.1002/9781119174844 . 978-1-118-34233-6.
Arratia . Gloria . 2017-03-04 . New Triassic teleosts (Actinopterygii, Teleosteomorpha) from northern Italy and their phylogenetic relationships among the most basal teleosts . Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology . en . 37 . 2 . e1312690 . 10.1080/02724634.2017.1312690 . 2017JVPal..37E2690A . 89773927 . 0272-4634.
Sferco . Emilia . López-Arbarello . Adriana . Báez . Ana María . December 2015 . Phylogenetic relationships of †Luisiella feruglioi (Bordas) and the recognition of a new clade of freshwater teleosts from the Jurassic of Gondwana . BMC Evolutionary Biology . en . 15 . 1 . 268 . 10.1186/s12862-015-0551-6 . free . 1471-2148 . 4668602 . 26630925. 2015BMCEE..15..268S .
Bean . L. B. . 2021 . Revision of the Mesozoic freshwater fish clade Archaeomaenidae . Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology . 45 . 2 . 217–259 . 10.1080/03115518.2021.1937700 . 237518065.
Arratia . G. . Schultze . H.-P. . 2024 . The oldest teleosts (Teleosteomorpha): their early taxonomic, phenotypic, and ecological diversification during the Triassic . Fossil Record . 27 . 1 . 29–53 . 10.3897/fr.27.115970 . free. 2024FossR..27...29A .
Schultze . Hans-Peter . Arratia . Gloria . Hauschke . Norbert . Wilde . Volker . 2022 . Osteichthyan Fishes from the uppermost Norian (Triassic) of the Fuchsberg near Seinstedt, Lower Saxony (Germany) . Diversity . en . 14 . 11 . 901 . 10.3390/d14110901 . free . 1424-2818.
Sferco . Emilia . López-Arbarello . Adriana . Báez . Ana María . 2015-12-03 . Phylogenetic relationships of †Luisiella feruglioi (Bordas) and the recognition of a new clade of freshwater teleosts from the Jurassic of Gondwana . BMC Evolutionary Biology . 15 . 1 . 268 . 10.1186/s12862-015-0551-6 . free . 1471-2148 . 4668602 . 26630925. 2015BMCEE..15..268S .
In ITIS, Gobiesociformes is placed as the suborder Gobiesocoidei of the order Perciformes.
In ITIS, Syngnathiformes is placed as the suborder Syngnathoidei of the order Gasterosteiformes.