MEMORIES OF JOE NELSON xxix FOREWORD xxxiii PREFACE xxxvii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xxxix INTRODUCTION 1 Taxonomic Diversity 3 Importance to People 4 Systematics and Classification 4 Anatomical Terminology 7 Distribution and Biogeography 8 Human Impacts 11 PHYLUM CHORDATA 13 SUBPHYLUM UROCHORDATA (Tunicata: the tunicates) 15 Class ASCIDIACEA (ascidians), 15 Class THALIACEA (salps), 15 Order PYROSOMIDA, 15 Order DOLIOLIDA, 15 Order SALPIDA, 15 Class APPENDICULARIA, 15 SUBPHYLUM CEPHALOCHORDATA (Acrania, in part) 16 Order AMPHIOXIFORMES (lancelets), 16 Family BRANCHIOSTOMATIDAE, 16 Family EPIGONICHTHYIDAE, 16 SUBPHYLUM CRANIATA 18 INFRAPHYLUM MYXINOMORPHI 19 Class MYXINI, 20 Order MYXINIFORMES (1)--hagfishes, 20 Family MYXINIDAE (1)--hagfishes, 20 INFRAPHYLUM VERTEBRATA (vertebrates) 22 SUPERCLASS PETROMYZONTOMORPHI 23 Class PETROMYZONTIDA, 23 Order PETROMYZONTIFORMES (2)--lampreys, 23 Family PETROMYZONTIDAE (2)--northern lampreys, 24 Family GEOTRIIDAE (3)--southern lampreys, 25 Family MORDACIIDAE (4)--southern topeyed lampreys, 26 SUPERCLASS GNATHOSTOMATA (jawed vertebrates) 34 EUGNATHOSTOMATA, 40 GRADE CHONDRICHTHYOMORPHI 40 Class CHONDRICHTHYES--cartilaginous fishes, 40 Superorder HOLOCEPHALIMORPHA, 50 Order CHIMAERIFORMES (3)--chimaeras, 51 Family CALLORHINCHIDAE (5)--plownose chimaeras, 52 Family RHINOCHIMAERIDAE (6)--longnose chimaeras, 52 Family CHIMAERIDAE (7)--shortnose chimaeras or ratfishes, 53 Subclass EUSELACHII (sharks, rays, and related fossils), 53 Infraclass ELASMOBRANCHII, 56 Division SELACHII--sharks, 58 Superorder GALEOMORPHI, 58 Order HETERODONTIFORMES (4)--bullhead sharks, 59 Family HETERODONTIDAE (8)--bullhead sharks, 59 Order ORECTOLOBIFORMES (5)--carpet sharks, 59 Family PARASCYLLIIDAE (9)--collared carpet sharks, 60 Family BRACHAELURIDAE (10)--blind sharks, 60 Family ORECTOLOBIDAE (11)--wobbegongs, 61 Order LAMNIFORMES (6)--mackerel sharks, 63 Order CARCHARHINIFORMES (7)--ground sharks, 68 Superorder SQUALOMORPHI, 73 Series HEXANCHIDA, 73 Order HEXANCHIFORMES (8)--six-gill sharks, 73 Family CHLAMYDOSELACHIDAE (31)--frilled sharks, 74 Family HEXANCHIDAE (32)--cow sharks, 74 Series SQUALIDA, 75 Order SQUALIFORMES (9)--dogfish sharks, 75 Series SQUATINIDA, 78 Order ECHINORHINIFORMES (10)--bramble sharks, 78 Family ECHINORHINIDAE (39)--bramble sharks, 78 Order SQUATINIFORMES (11)--angel sharks, 79 Family SQUATINIDAE (40)--angel sharks, 79 Order PRISTIOPHORIFORMES (12)--saw sharks, 80 Family PRISTIOPHORIDAE (41)--saw sharks, 80 Division BATOMORPHI--rays, 80 Order TORPEDINIFORMES (13)--electric rays, 82 Family TORPEDINIDAE (42)--torpedo electric rays, 82 Family NARCINIDAE (43)--numbfishes, 83 Order RAJIFORMES (14)--skates, 84 Family RAJIDAE (44)--skates, 84 Order PRISTIFORMES (15)--guitarfishes and sawfishes, 85 Order MYLIOBATIFORMES (16)--stingrays, 87 Grade TELEOSTOMI 95 Class OSTEICHTHYES--bony fishes and tetrapods, 101 Subclass SARCOPTERYGII--lobe-finned fishes and tetrapods, 102 Infraclass ACTINISTIA--coelacanths, 103 Order COELACANTHIFORMES (17)--coelacanths, 104 Family LATIMERIIDAE (59)--gombessas or coelacanths, 105 Infraclass ONYCHODONTIDA, 106 Infraclass DIPNOMORPHA, 106 Superorder DIPNOI, 107 Order CERATODONTIFORMES (18)--living lungfishes and their fossil relatives, 108 Family NEOCERATODONTIDAE (60)--Australian lungfishes, 109 Family LEPIDOSIRENIDAE (61)--South American lungfishes, 109 Family PROTOPTERIDAE (62)--African lungfishes, 109 Infraclass TETRAPODA--tetrapods, 111 Subclass ACTINOPTERYGII--ray-finned fishes, 111 Infraclass CLADISTIA, 116 Order POLYPTERIFORMES (19)--bichirs, 116 Family POLYPTERIDAE (63)--bichirs, 117 Infraclass CHONDROSTEI, 118 Order ACIPENSERIFORMES (20)--paddlefishes and sturgeons, 118 Family POLYODONTIDAE (64)--paddlefishes, 118 Family ACIPENSERIDAE (65)--sturgeons, 119 NEOPTERYGII, 121 Infraclass HOLOSTEI (gars, bowfins, and relatives), 121 Division GINGLYMODI, 122 Order LEPISOSTEIFORMES (21)--gars, 122 Family LEPISOSTEIDAE (66)--gars, 123 Division HALECOMORPHI, 124 Order AMIIFORMES (22)--bowfins, 125 Family AMIIDAE (67)--bowfins, 126 Division TELEOSTEOMORPHA, 126 Subdivision TELEOSTEI, 128 Supercohort TELEOCEPHALA--crown-group Teleostei, 132 Cohort ELOPOMORPHA, 133 Order ELOPIFORMES (23)--tenpounders, 135 Family ELOPIDAE (68)--tenpounders (ladyfishes), 135 Family MEGALOPIDAE (69)--tarpons, 135 Order ALBULIFORMES (24)--bonefishes, 136 Family ALBULIDAE (70)--bonefishes, 136 Order NOTACANTHIFORMES (25)--halosaurs and deep-sea spiny eels, 137 Family HALOSAURIDAE (71)--halosaurs, 137 Family NOTACANTHIDAE (72)--deep-sea spiny eels, 138 Order ANGUILLIFORMES (26)--eels, 139 OSTEOGLOSSOCEPHALA, 153 Cohort OSTEOGLOSSOMORPHA, 153 Order HIODONTIFORMES (27)--mooneyes, 155 Family HIODONTIDAE (92)--mooneyes, 155 Order OSTEOGLOSSIFORMES (28)--bonytongues, 155 CLUPEOCEPHALA, 160 Cohort OTOCEPHALA, 161 Superorder CLUPEOMORPHA, 162 Order CLUPEIFORMES (29)--herrings, 164 Superorder ALEPOCEPHALI, 172 Order ALEPOCEPHALIFORMES (30)--slickheads and tubeshoulders, 172 Superorder OSTARIOPHYSI, 174 Series ANOTOPHYSI, 175 Order GONORYNCHIFORMES (31)--milkfishes, 175 Series OTOPHYSI, 179 Subseries Cypriniphysi, 180 Order CYPRINIFORMES (32)--carps, loaches, minnows, and relatives, 180 Family CYPRINIDAE (109)--minnows, carps, and loaches, 181 Subseries Characiphysi, 193 Order CHARACIFORMES (33)--characins, 193 Subseries Siluriphysi, 207 Order SILURIFORMES (34)--catfishes, 207 Order GYMNOTIFORMES (35)--Neotropical knifefishes, 238 Cohort EUTELEOSTEI, 241 Order LEPIDOGALAXIIFORMES (36)--salamanderfishes, 242 Family LEPIDOGALAXIIDAE (186)--salamanderfishes, 242 Superorder PROTACANTHOPTERYGII, 243 Order SALMONIFORMES (37)--trout, salmon, and whitefish, 244 Family SALMONIDAE (187)--trout, salmon, and whitefish, 244 Order ESOCIFORMES (38)--pikes and mudminnows, 248 Family ESOCIDAE (188)--pikes, 249 Family UMBRIDAE (189)--mudminnows, 251 Superorder OSMEROMORPHA, 252 Order ARGENTINIFORMES (39)--marine smelts, 252 Order GALAXIIFORMES (40)--galaxiiforms, 254 Family GALAXIIDAE (194)--galaxiids, 254 Order OSMERIFORMES (41)--freshwater smelts, 256 Order STOMIIFORMES (42)--dragonfishes, 259 Superorder ATELEOPODOMORPHA, 265 Order ATELEOPODIFORMES (43)--jellynose fishes, 265 Family ATELEOPODIDAE (204)--jellynose fishes, 265 Superorder CYCLOSQUAMATA, 266 Order AULOPIFORMES (44)--lizardfishes, 266 Superorder SCOPELOMORPHA, 276 Order MYCTOPHIFORMES (45)--lanternfishes, 276 Family NEOSCOPELIDAE (221)--blackchins, 277 Family MYCTOPHIDAE (222)--lanternfishes, 277 Superorder LAMPRIMORPHA, 280 Order LAMPRIFORMES (46)--opahs, 280 Superorder PARACANTHOPTERYGII, 284 Order POLYMIXIIFORMES (47)--beardfishes, 285 Family POLYMIXIIDAE (229)--beardfishes, 286 Order PERCOPSIFORMES (48)--trout-perches, 287 Family PERCOPSIDAE (230)--trout-perches, 287 Family APHREDODERIDAE (231)--pirate perches, 288 Family AMBLYOPSIDAE (232)--cavefishes, 289 Order ZEIFORMES (49)--dories, 289 Order STYLEPHORIFORMES (50)--tube-eyes or thread-tails, 293 Family STYLEPHORIDAE (239)--tube-eyes or thread-tails, 293 Order GADIFORMES (51)--cods and hakes, 293 Superorder ACANTHOPTERYGII, 302 Series BERYCIDA, 303 Order HOLOCENTRIFORMES (52)--squirrelfishes, 304 Family HOLOCENTRIDAE (253)--squirrelfishes, 304 Order TRACHICHTHYIFORMES (53)--roughies, 305 Order BERYCIFORMES (54)--beryciforms, 308 Series PERCOMORPHA, 314 Subseries Ophidiida, 315 Order OPHIDIIFORMES (55)--cusk-eels, 315 Subseries Batrachoidida, 320 Order BATRACHOIDIFORMES (56)--toadfishes, 320 Family BATRACHOIDIDAE (272)--toadfishes, 321 Subseries Gobiida, 323 Order KURTIFORMES (57)--nurseryfishes and cardinalfishes, 324 Family KURTIDAE (273)--nurseryfishes, 324 Family APOGONIDAE (274)--cardinalfishes, 324 Order GOBIIFORMES (58)--gobies, 326 Subseries Ovalentaria, 333 Order MUGILIFORMES (59)--mullets, 341 Family MUGILIDAE (291)--mullets, 342 Order CICHLIFORMES (60)--cichlids and convict blennies, 342 Family CICHLIDAE (292)--cichlids, 342 Family PHOLIDICHTHYIDAE (293)--convict blenny, 345 Order BLENNIIFORMES (61)--Blennies, 346 Order GOBIESOCIFORMES (62)--clingfishes, 351 Family GOBIESOCIDAE (300)--clingfishes, 352 Order ATHERINIFORMES (63)--silversides, 354 Order BELONIFORMES (64)--needlefishes, 363 Order CYPRINODONTIFORMES (65)--killifishes, 369 Order SYNBRANCHIFORMES (66)--swamp eels, 380 Order CARANGIFORMES (67)--jacks, 383 Order ISTIOPHORIFORMES (68)--barracudas and billfishes, 387 Order ANABANTIFORMES (69)--labyrinth fishes, 390 Order PLEURONECTIFORMES (70)--flatfishes, 395 Order SYNGNATHIFORMES (71)--pipefi.