- Gasterosteiformes
Taxobox
name = Gasterosteiformes
image_width = 240px
image_caption =Three-spined stickleback s, "Gasterosteus aculeatus"
regnum =Animal ia
phylum =Chordata
superclassis =Osteichthyes
classis =Actinopterygii
subclassis =Neopterygii
infraclassis =Teleostei
superordo =Acanthopterygii
ordo = Gasterosteiformes
ordo_authority =
subdivision_ranks = Families
subdivision =Aulorhynchidae Gasterosteidae Hypoptychidae and see textGasterosteiformes is an order of
ray-finned fish es that includes thestickleback s and relatives.In the Gasterosteiformes, the pelvic girdle is never attached to the
cleithra directly, and thesupramaxillary ,orbitosphenoid , andbasisphenoid bones are absent. The body is often partly or completely covered withdermal plate s.The name "Gasterosteiformes" means "bone-bellies". It is derived from
Ancient Greek "gaster" ("γαστήρ"; "stomach", "abdomen") + "ostoun" ("ὀστοῦν"; "bone"). The ending for fish orders "-formes" is derived fromLatin and indicates "of similar form".Systematics
Often Gasterosteiformes includes the
sea horse s,pipefish es and their relatives assuborder Syngnathoidei, with the sticklebacks and relatives in the suborder Gasterosteoidei [E.g. ITIS (2004), Nelson (2006)] . In many more recent treatments the traditional placement [E.g. McAllister (1968)] as different orders, with the former becomingSyngnathiformes , is used [E.g. FishBase (2005a,b)] . There is a growing body of evidence that this is correct; in fact, the two groups do not seem to be particularly close relatives among theAcanthopterygii .As it seems, the loosely delimited Gasterosteiformes are
paraphyletic with theScorpaeniformes . The more typical members of that group (e.g.scorpionfish es) are apparently closer to the "true" Gasterosteiformes, whereas the keel-bodiedflying gurnard s (Dactylopteridae) seem actually to belong to the Syngnathiformesclade . It seems that the closest living relatives of the narrowly-delimited Gasterosteiformes are the gunnels (Pholidae) andeelpout s (Zoarcidae), traditionally placed in the massively paraphyletic "Perciformes ". These two families, as well as the relatedTrichodontidae , would then appear to be derived offshoots of the scorpaeniform-gasterosteiform radiation which haveapomorph ically lost the bone "armour" found in their relativesKawahara (2008)] .Three families certainly belong to the Gasterosteiformes "sensu stricto":
*Aulorhynchidae –tubesnout s and tubenoses
*Gasterosteidae – sticklebacks
*Hypoptychidae – sand eelsThe
armoured stickleback (Indostomidae) and thePegasidae (dragonfishes and sea moths) are variously placed with the pipefish or the stickleback lineage. While the Pegasidae are almost certainly Syngnathiformes, the placement of themonotypic former family is essentially unresolved, as it has always been. At least provisionally it is better treated as an acathopterygian order of its own.Footnotes
References
* (2005a): [http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/OrdersSummary.cfm?order=Gasterosteiformes Order Summary for Gasterosteiformes] . Version of 2005-FEB-15. Retrieved 2008-AUG-19.
* (2005b): [http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/OrdersSummary.cfm?order=Syngnathiformes Order Summary for Syngnathiformes] . Version of 2005-FEB-15. Retrieved 2008-AUG-19.
* (2004): [http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=166361 Gasterosteiformes (TSN 166361). Retrieved 2006-APR-08
* (2008): Interrelationships of the 11 gasterosteiform families (sticklebacks, pipefishes, and their relatives): A new perspective based on mitogenome sequences from 75 higher teleosts. "Mol. Phylogenet. Evol." 46(1): 224–236. doi|10.1016/j.ympev.2007.07.009 (HTML abstract)
* (1968): Evolution of branchiostegals and classification of teleostome fishes. "Bulletin of the Nattional Museum of Canada, Ottawa" 221: 1–239.
* (2006): "Fishes of the World ". John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 0471250317External links
* Gasterosteiformes entry on [http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/classification/Gasterosteiformes.html#Gasterosteiformes Animal Diversity Web]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.