Gonorynchiformes
The Gonorynchiformes /ɡɒnəˈrɪŋkɪfɔːrmiːz/ are an order of ray-finned fish that includes the important food source, the milkfish (Chanos chanos, family Chanidae), and a number of lesser-known types, both marine and freshwater.
| Gonorynchiformes Temporal range: Early Cretaceous - Recent | |
|---|---|
| Milkfish, Chanos chanos | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Superorder: | Ostariophysi |
| Order: | Gonorynchiformes L. S. Berg, 1940 |
| Type species | |
| Gonorynchus gonorynchus (Linnaeus, 1766) | |
| Families | |
|
Chanidae (milkfish) | |
The alternate spelling "Gonorhynchiformes", with an "h", is frequently seen but not official.
Gonorynchiformes have small mouths and no teeth. They are the sole group in the clade Anotophysi, a subgroup of the superorder Ostariophysi. They are characterized by a primitive Weberian apparatus formed by the first three vertebrae and one or more cephalic ribs within the head. This apparatus is believed to be a hearing organ, and is found in a more advanced and complex form in the related cypriniform fish, such as carp. Also like the cypriniforms, the gonorynchiforms produce a substance from their skin when injured that dissolves into the water and acts an alarm signal to other fish.