Loaches
| Cypriniformes Temporal range: Paleocene–Recent |
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| A wild-type common carp (Cyprinus carpio, Cyprinidae: Cyprininae) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Superorder: | Ostariophysi |
| Order: |
Cypriniformes Bleeker, 1859 |
| Families | |
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Balitoridae |
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Balitoridae
Barbuccidae
Botiidae
Catostomidae
Cobitidae
Cyprinidae
Ellopostomatidae
Gastromyzontidae
Gyrinocheilidae
Nemacheilidae
Psilorhynchidae
Serpenticobitidae
Vaillantellidae
and see text
Cypriniformes is an order of ray-finned fish, including the carps, minnows, loaches and relatives. This order contains 11-12 families, over 400 genera, and more than 4,250 species, with new species being described every few months or so, and new genera being recognized frequently. They are most diverse in southeastern Asia, and are entirely absent from Australia and South America.
Their closest living relatives are the Characiformes (characins and allies), the Gymnotiformes (electric eel and American knifefishes) and the Siluriformes (catfishes).
Like other orders of the Ostariophysi, fishes of cypriniformes possess a Weberian apparatus. They differ from most of their relatives in having only a dorsal fin on their back; most other fishes of Ostariophysi have a small fleshy adipose fin behind the dorsal fin. Further differences are the Cypriniformes' unique kinethmoid, a small median bone in the snout, and the lack of teeth in the mouth. Instead, they have convergent structures called pharyngeal teeth in the throat. While other groups of fish, such as cichlids, also possess pharyngeal teeth, the cypriniformes' teeth grind against a chewing pad on the base of the skull, instead of an upper pharyngeal jaw.
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