Order Perciformes. Perciformes: representatives, interesting facts Perciformes general characteristics

Perciformes: characteristics, significance, representatives and interesting facts about this type of fish you will learn in this article.

Perciformes(Perciformes) is an order of fish from the class of ray-finned fish, including about 40% of bony fish species.

Perciformes: general characteristics

• Some of the rays of the fins look like undivided sharp spines; the pelvic fins are usually located under the pectoral fins, and sometimes in front of them. There are usually two dorsal fins. There are usually spikes on the head. The scales are often ctenoid.
• the swim bladder is not combined with the intestines.
• These are mainly predators.
• Some have no swim bladder.
• live in both fresh and salt waters

The body length of different species of these fish ranges from 1 cm to 5 m, and the weight sometimes reaches 900 kg.

These fish are characterized by an extremely rich variety of colors, which depends on the climatic zone where the fish live. Thus, the color of fish swimming in tropical waters will be bright, while fish in northern latitudes will have a more faded, even nondescript color, with a predominance of gray-brown shades. The skin is covered with scales.
The anal and urogenital openings are separated from each other. Like most modern fish that live in the oceans and seas, perciformes have a bony spine, which is most often connected to the skull through a movable connection with the maxillary apparatus.
The mouth of representatives of this order is formed by jaws that operate according to the grasping principle: the fish moves forward a little, freezes for a while, and then rushes at the prey as quickly as possible, leaving it no chance. The teeth are most often bristle-shaped and small in size, but some species have large fangs.

Perciform fish representatives

The order Perciformes includes more than 10,000 species of fish and about 150 families of this series. The most common representatives are pike perch, perch, ruffe, mackerel, horse mackerel, tuna, and gobies.

Perciformes: interesting facts

Swordfish can be 4.5 m long and weigh up to 500 kg. This animal, when chasing prey, is capable of reaching speeds of up to 130 km/h.

Before breeding, all perciformes create nests, which are often small holes, plugged with vegetation, but only gobies protect future offspring. The largest females of this order are capable of laying up to 1 million eggs.

Tuna moves very quickly, the speed of this fish reaches 75 kilometers per hour.

The largest tuna specimen ever recorded was 21 feet long and weighed 1,600 pounds.

Tuna is able to change the position of its dorsal and pectoral fins to reduce water resistance and speed up its swimming speed.

Tuna can swim near the surface or can dive to depths of 3,000 feet as they search for food.

Perciformes: meaning

Many species of perciformes have commercial value. In the Black Sea, mackerel, mackerel, tuna, and various types of gobies are fished. River perch, pike perch, ruffe, etc. are found in fresh water bodies.

Order: Perciformes = Perciformes

Taxonomy: Order: Perciformes = Perciformes

The order Perciformes is the most extensive order of ray-finned fish, including at least 150 families, which are grouped into 20-21 suborders. The order Perciformes apparently contains over 6,000 species of fish, which are distributed throughout the most diverse bodies of water throughout our planet.

Representatives of the order Perciformes are characterized by the presence of fins with spines. If there are pelvic fins, they contain no more than 6 rays and are usually located under the base of the pectoral fins or slightly in front of them, directly on the throat. The bases of the pectoral fins are located perpendicular or oblique to the long axis of the body. The adipose fin is completely absent in perciformes. Many species do not have a swim bladder, and in species that have a swim bladder, it has no connection with the intestines.

The order Perciformes contains at least twenty suborders.

The perciform suborder (PERCOIDEI) is very diverse and its representatives are characterized by the presence of one well-developed spiny ray in the pelvic fins, as well as well-developed, usually spiny rays in the dorsal and anal fins. The pelvic fins of perciformes are located under the base of the pectoral fins, and rarely in front or slightly behind. The suborder Perciformes contains about 50 families.

SUBORDER ECHENEOIDEI There is only one family in this suborder. SUBORDER WRAPE (LABROIDEI) Wrabe are coastal marine fish that live mainly in tropical and subtropical waters. They live at shallow depths near coral reefs, among rocks and stones or in algae thickets. The lower pharyngeal bones of representatives of this suborder are fused into a single plate, and the “chewing” pharyngeal teeth are well developed and adapted for grinding solid food. The dorsal fin is always single, with spiny rays in the anterior part. The coloring of the wrasse is very variable and sometimes extremely bright. Wrasses include three families - wrasse, parrotfish and Australian wrasses. Many of these fish have edible and tasty meat, however, without forming mass aggregations, they are used only for local consumption. SUBORDER TRACHINOVIDES, OR TRACHINOIDEI Trachinoid fish have a low, elongated body, usually with a short body and a long, laterally compressed tail. The dorsal fin is either single, long, or divided into a short anterior one and a long posterior one. The anal fin is long, usually without spiny rays, less often with 1-2 spiny rays. The pectoral fins usually have a wide base, the pelvic fins are located in front of them or, less commonly, below them. The mouth is usually large, terminal or oblique, directed upward. Almost all trachinoids are bottom-dwelling fish, a few are bathypelagic, deep-sea fish. The trachinaceae include 16 families, the most important of which are the hair-toothed, bol-sherotaceae, or opisthognathaceae, bathymasteraceae, dragonetaceae, stargazers and live-swallowers, or chiasmodaceae. SUBORDER NOTOTENIOIDEI A peculiar group of five closely related families, united in this suborder, lives only in Antarctica and partly in the adjacent waters of the southern hemisphere, being in its distribution the southernmost group of fish in the world. In the shape of the body and fins and in color, many representatives of this group surprisingly resemble either our Far Eastern slingshots (Cottidae) or greenling fish (Hexagrammidae), but the similarity is purely external, since it is not due to more or less close kinship. With a general perch-like type of structure, notothenioid fish are distinguished by the peculiar structure of the skeleton of the pectoral fin (there are only three bones for attaching the fin rays). They all have one pair of nostrils. The lateral line on the body is often represented by three branches, of which the median is usually located only in the back of the body. If the operculum is armed, then spines are usually developed on the opercular bone. There are no sharp spines in the fins. The pelvic fins are in front of the pectoral fins, with one unsegmented and five branched rays. The body is usually covered with scales, less often naked. Almost all nototheniformes are small and medium-sized fish, only a few species reach a meter in length or more. In recent years, some species have acquired commercial importance. In the suborder of nototheniform fishes, slightly more than a hundred species belonging to 34 genera are known. These are predominantly bottom and demersal marine fish, but some of them have secondarily adapted to a pelagic lifestyle, using the rich food resources of open ocean waters. Of the five families of nototheniids, only one family of cheek-horned fish (Bovichthyidae) is characteristic of temperate waters of the southern hemisphere. Other families (Nototheniidae, Harpagiferidae, Bathydraconidae and Chaenichthyidae) are predominantly Antarctic, since they reach their greatest species and genus diversity in the cold waters surrounding Antarctica. In the benthic fauna of the Antarctic, about 3/4 of the species inhabiting it belong to notothenioid fishes, while the few other families known here (rays, parrotfishes, lykodas, sea slugs) are represented by only a few species. It is important to note that almost all species of nototheniformes and the vast majority of their genera are endemic to the Antarctic region1, since they are not found outside of it. Such high endemism is a phenomenon unknown for other large faunal regions of the World Ocean. Antarctica can thus be called the kingdom of nototheniform fish. The nototheniidae include the families of cheek-horned, nototheniaceae, bearded, flat-nosed and white-blooded fish. SUBORDER BENNIOIDEI Dog-shaped fish have an elongated, eel-like body in some, with long dorsal and anal fins. The pelvic fins usually sit on the throat and contain no more than 5 rays, or none at all. Pectoral fins with a wide base, usually located perpendicular to the long axis of the body. The scales are usually small or absent, the skin is bare with copious mucus secretion. There are many families that belong to the dog-like family; the most important of them are: blenny, catfish, three-feathered, wedge-shaped, elemental, ptilichtidae, butterfish, crooked. SUBORDER ZOARCOIDEI The only family in the suborder. SUBORDER ICOSTEOIDEI This suborder also contains a single family. SUBORDER SCHINDLERIOIDEI And in this suborder there is only one family. SUBORDER GERTILE (AMMODYTOIDEI) Includes a single family - gerbils. SUBORDER LYRE-MOIDEI (CALLIONYMOIDEI) Peculiar small fish of this suborder, like gerbils, stay on the sandy bottom, burying themselves in the sand when in danger. There are two families: lyre fish, or minnows, and dragonettes. SUBORDER GOBIOID (GOBIOIDEI) A distinctive feature of the gobiids is the structure of the ventral fins, in which the rays facing outward are shorter than the rays facing inward. As a rule, the pelvic fins are very close together and even merge with each other, forming a funnel. They are located on the chest. The first dorsal fin is usually small, consisting of weak spiny, more precisely, unbranched rays; occasionally it is absent or connected by a membrane with the second dorsal, which is always present. The suborder Gobiformes contains about a dozen families, of which the most interesting are the firebrands, riacichtaceae, gobies, ribbon gobies, microdesmaceae and mudskippers. SUBORDER KURTOIDEI Only 2 species belong to this suborder. SUBORDER SURGICAL (ACANTHUROIDEI) This suborder, which differs from other perciform fish in some skeletal features, contains only three families. All surgeonfishes belong to the coastal marine fish that live in tropical waters, mainly near coral reefs. They have a laterally compressed body, very small scales and weak teeth. A very characteristic feature of this group of fish is the passage of a pelagic stage in individual development, and their peculiar larvae are very different from the adults. Most species of the suborder belong to herbivorous fish. SUBORDER HAIR-TAILED (TRICHIUROIDEI) Hair-tailed are a unique group of predatory marine fish that lead a pelagic lifestyle. All of them have, to one degree or another, an elongated body, a large mouth and powerful fang-like teeth. The dorsal fin consists of spiny and soft parts. Representatives of this suborder show quite significant similarities with mackerel-like fish, from which they differ in some anatomical features. The suborder includes two families - gempilov and hair-tailed, which are common in warm seas and oceans around the world. SUBORDER SCOMBROIDEI This order includes the only family of well-known fish. SUBORDER Swordfish (XIPHIOIDEI) This suborder includes three families of highly specialized marine fish that lead a pelagic lifestyle and are common mainly in open waters far from the coast. They are characterized by such skeletal features as fusion of the nasal bones into a solid outgrowth (“sword”) or their absence, a smooth surface of the frontal bones, and a small number of vertebrae. The pectoral fins in sword-snouts are located near the lower edge of the body, and the ventral fins are either not developed at all or are represented by a few (from 1 to 3) rays. Fossil remains of representatives of this suborder have been known since Eocene deposits: swordtails have existed for about 60 million years. Some fish belonging to the suborder under consideration reach very large sizes and, along with moonfish (Molidae), are among the largest modern bony fish. All of them have tasty meat and serve as fishing grounds. STROMATEOIDEI STROMATEOIDEI is a small suborder of perciform fish, comprising 6 families and characterized by the presence of two pouch-shaped pharynx structures equipped with teeth behind the last gill arch (these formations are absent only in the Amarsipidae family). The appearance of representatives of this group is quite diverse, but they all have much in common in the appearance of the head. Blunt, slightly protruding snout. large eyes surrounded by adipose tissue, the upper jaw almost hidden under the preorbital bone - these are the external signs by which stromateoids differ from other fish at first glance. Using an anthropomorphic comparison, we can say that they all have a slightly stupid and somewhat alarmed expression. This suborder includes marine fish that inhabit tropical and temperate waters and are absent only in the coldest regions of the Arctic and high Antarctica. As a rule, they lead a pelagic lifestyle, but there are also benthic species in this group. It is very typical for stromateoid fry to live together with jellyfish, siphonophores or pelagic tunicates, under which they hide from predators. Sometimes fish even settle in the gastrovascular cavity of jellyfish or inside a colony of pyrosome fireworms. Such cohabitation not only provides the fry with good shelter, but also provides them with a table: here they have the opportunity to feed on the leftover food of their “masters,” and in some cases they also bite off parts of the body of the patrons themselves. In the course of adapting to this way of life, these fish have developed a special mechanism of protection against the poisonous stinging cells of jellyfish and siphons. The fry of stromateoides are much less susceptible to the toxic substances of their “hosts” than other fish, although they do not have complete immunity to them. In addition, their body is often covered with a thick mucous membrane. As adults, representatives of this suborder no longer need such protection, but many of them continue to “maintain an interest” in soft-bodied invertebrates, using them exclusively as food. SUBORDER CREEPERS (ANABANTOIDEI) Crawler-like fish are remarkable primarily for their adaptability to breathing atmospheric air. Their gill cavity is expanded upward. This special expansion houses an additional respiratory organ in the form of lamellar outgrowths covered with mucous epithelium and abundantly supplied with blood vessels. The labyrinth-shaped curved plates that form this organ extend from the first gill arch (the “labyrinth organ” of slider fish), or it has a slightly different structure (in snakehead fish). The body and head of creeper fish are covered with ctenoid scales. There is one dorsal fin with spiny and soft parts. The caudal fin is rounded. The pelvic fins are located on the chest, below the pectoral fins. The swim bladder is bifurcated at the back and continues into the caudal part of the body. Creepers are common in Africa, South and Southeast Asia. The suborder Creepers includes three families: Creepers, Pikeheads and Snakeheads. SUBORDER PROMOBILE (MASTACEMBELOIDEI) Fish of this suborder have an eel-like body shape, but the presence of spines in the fins, the structure of the skeleton and other features indicate that they belong to the perciformes. Proboscis snouts are common in the fresh waters of tropical Africa and Southeast Asia.

The title of representatives of the most extensive order of fish is rightfully held by the perch-like inhabitants of the underwater kingdom. This order, belonging to the class of ray-finned fish, unites approximately forty percent of the species of bony fish. The distribution area of ​​the individuals representing the order includes absolutely all marine bodies of water and most freshwater ones, which means they can be found in all climatic zones of the planet without exception.

Perciform fish are the largest order of ray-finned fish that inhabit all the water bodies of our planet.

General description and characteristics

The Latin name of the order is Persiformes. Its representatives are mostly predators. In terms of color variants, perciformes belong to one of the most diverse orders. The color of a particular individual is directly related to its habitat, or rather, to the climatic region in which it lives. Tropical fish have brighter colors than others. Individuals swimming in reservoirs of northern latitudes have a rather pale and even faded, nondescript color, predominantly in gray-brown tones.

Like many fish that exist in the modern world, they have a bony backbone. It is usually connected to the skull through a movable attachment to the maxillary apparatus. The head of a perch-like individual is usually “decorated” with spines. The mouth of individuals representing the order is formed by jaws, the functioning of which is carried out according to the so-called grasping method. The fish makes a weak movement forward, freezes for a while, after which it quickly rushes at the chosen victim with the maximum possible speed. This style of attack does not leave the prey the slightest chance of salvation.

Most perciformes have seta-like teeth that are quite small in size. But some varieties have large fangs. The skin of these fish is covered with scales - most often of the ctenoid type. Like all fish belonging to the bony class, representatives of this order have gill covers.

The swim bladder is in no way connected with the intestines, and in some varieties it is completely absent. The anus is separated from the genitourinary.

Presence of fins and their location

One of the main features of perciformes is their fins. They are usually equipped with peculiar spines - some fin rays have the shape of undivided sharp spines. Most individuals have two dorsal fins.

The adipose fin is completely absent. If there are ventral ones, they consist of no more than six rays. They are located mainly under the chest and occasionally in front of them - on the throat. The pectoral fins are placed either obliquely or perpendicular to the long axis of the body.

Sizes of individuals

In terms of size, perciform fish of different species are very different from each other. The smallest representatives are the gobies Schindleria brevipingus, living near the Australian east coast. The inhabitants of the underwater world of this species are among the smallest fish on the planet. Their weight is only one milligram, and body length reaches:

• in males - 7.7 mm;
• in females - 8.4 mm.

The largest perch-like individuals are blue marlins (Atlantic and Indo-Pacific). They can grow up to five meters in length and weigh almost a ton. Also The largest representatives include:

• swordfish;
• black marlin;
• common tuna.

These individuals are capable of reaching a length of 4.5 meters.

But still, according to the traditional understanding of the order, small-sized individuals predominate among perciformes. Over a third of all species included in this order have a body length within ten centimeters. Large representatives of perciformes, whose sizes are equal to or exceed one meter, account for less than three percent of the total number of species.

Species of individuals

The representatives of this vast order include more than one and a half hundred families, classified into two dozen suborders. Thus, the number of species of perciform fish in total exceeds ten thousand. Many of these fish are considered commercial and important.

Individuals of perciformes are capable of fully existing in natural objects with both salt water and fresh water, therefore this order includes both marine fish and freshwater fish. Among the representatives of the order Perciformes The most widespread are:

• bulls;
• perches;
• mackerel;
• horse mackerel;
• zander;
• tunas.