Ostariophysi
| Ostariophysi Temporal range: Early Cretaceous - Recent |
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|---|---|
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| Milkfish, Chanos chanos | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Infraclass: | Teleostei |
| Superorder: | Ostariophysi |
| Orders | |
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Gonorynchiformes |
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Gonorynchiformes
Cypriniformes
Characiformes
Gymnotiformes
Siluriformes
Ostariophysi is the second-largest superorder of fish. Members of this superorder are called ostariophysians. This diverse group contains almost 8,000 species, about 28% of known fish species in the world and 68% of freshwater species, and are present on all major continents except Antarctica. They have a number of common characteristics such as an alarm substance and a Weberian apparatus. Members of this group include fish important to people for food, sport, the aquarium industry, and research.
Currently, this superorder is divided into two series, Anotophysi and Otophysi. However, in older literature, Ostariophysi was restricted only to the fish that are currently classified under Otophysi. Otophysi was coined in 1970 by Rosen and Greenwood to separate the traditional Ostariophysians from the added Gonorynchiformes.
The superorder is classified below:
The monophyly of Ostariophysi has come into question with molecular evidence. Gonorynchiformes is more closely related to Clupeiformes than Otophysi. It is possible that the Gonorynchiformes and Clupeiformes form a monophyletic group. There is evidence for a sister group relationship between Ostariophysi and Clupeomorpha (the taxon Ostarioclupeomorpha, also known as Otocephala, was coined to describe this possibly monophyletic group).
Ostariophysian fossils, both anotophysan and otophysian, are known from the early Cretaceous. Ostariophysian fossils are known from every continent except Australia.
Ostariophysians are currently distributed worldwide on all continents except Antarctica. The common ancestor of this group entered fresh water about 251 million years ago coincident with the global decrease in oxygen levels in marine waters. The Otophysi originated in freshwaters during the Jurassic (c. 200-145 Ma) before the breakup of the super continent Pangea. The division of the Otophysi into the four extant clades closely follows the breakup of Pangea. The separation of Laurasia in the north from Gondwana in the south isolated the lineages which gave rise to the modern Cyprinoformes and Characiphysi. The Characiphysi then was itself divided into the diurnal (day-active) Characiformes and the nocturnal (night-active) Siluriphysi, including Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes. Modern Characiformes are present in both South America and Africa, and have relatively recently extended their range to North America. The Siluriphysi are characterized by many derived traits, including notably, electroreception. The Siluriphysi originated before the breakup of Gondwana into South America and Africa in the Aptian (c. 110 Ma) but the presence of several basal Siluriphysan taxa in modern South America (Gymnotiformes, Diplomystidae, Loricaridea) suggest that the Siluriphysi may have originated on the western portion of Gondwana. Alternatively, these basal taxa have subsequently become extinct in Africa. The modern distribution of Siluriformes is cosmopolitan due to subsequent dispersal.
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Wikipedia