Ophidiiformes
Ophidiiformes /ɒˈfɪdi.ɪfɔːrmiːz/ is an order of ray-finned fish that includes the cusk-eels (family Ophidiidae), pearlfishes (family Carapidae), viviparous brotulas (family Bythitidae), and others. Members of this order have small heads and long slender bodies. They have either smooth scales or no scales, a long dorsal fin and an anal fin that typically runs into the caudal fin. They mostly come from the tropics and subtropics, and live in both freshwater and marine habitats, including abyssal depths. They have adopted a range of feeding methods and lifestyles, including parasitism. The majority are egg-laying, but some are viviparous.
| Ophidiiformes Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| Fawn cusk-eel, Lepophidium profundorum | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Clade: | Percomorpha |
| Order: | Ophidiiformes L. S. Berg, 1937 |
| Type species | |
| Ophidion barbatum Linnaeus 1758 | |
| Suborders | |
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See text | |
The earliest fossil member is Pastorius from the Maastrichtian of Italy.
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