Order ELOPIFORMES

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Introduction

The order Elopiformes includes two families of medium-sized fishes found in inshore marine and estuarine environments (Nelson 2006). Authors, including Forey et al. (1996) and Inoue et al. (2004), have shown that the order is basal to other groups within the subdivision Elopomorpha. Wiley & Johnson (2010) summarised the diagnostic characters, and Forey et al. (1996) and Johnson & Britz (2010) discussed diagnostic characters defining the order. Further information can be found in Smith (1999), Nelson (2006), Nelson et al. 2016 and Paxton et al. (2006). The species are characterised by a leptocephalus larval stage, that, unlike most elopomorph fishes, has a forked caudal fin (Smith 1989).

General References

Forey, P.L., Littlewood, D.T.J., Ritchie, P. & Meyer, A. 1996. Interrelationships of elopomorph fishes. pp. 175-192 in Stiassny, M.L.J., Parenti, L.R. & Johnson, G.D. (eds). Interrelationships of Fishes. San Diego : Academic Press 496 pp.

Inoue, J.G., Miya, M., Tsukamoto, K. & Nishida, M. 2004. Mitogenomic evidence for the monophyly of elopomorph fishes (Teleostei) and the evolutionary origin of the leptocephalus larva. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 32(1): 274-286 [Date published July 2004]

Johnson, G.D. & Britz, R. 2010. Occipito-vertebral fusion in actinopterygians: conjecture, myth and reality. Part 2: Teleosts. pp. 95-110 in Nelson, J.S., Schultze, H.-P. & Wilson, M.V.H. Origin and Phylogenetic Interrelationships of Teleosts. München, Germany : Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil 480 pp.

Nelson, J.S. 2006. Fishes of the World. Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 601 pp.

Nelson, J.S., Grande, T.C. & Wilson, M.V.H. 2016. Fishes of the World. Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons 5, 752 pp.

Paxton, J.R., Gates, J.E., Bray, D.J. & Hoese, D.F. 2006. Megalopidae. pp. 223-224 in Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & Allen, G.R. Fishes. In, Beesley, P.L. & Wells, A. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 35. Volume 35 Australia : ABRS & CSIRO Publishing Parts 1-3, 2178 pp.

Paxton, J.R., Gates, J.E. & Hoese, D.F. 2006. Elopidae. pp. 221-222 in Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & Allen, G.R. Fishes. In, Beesley, P.L. & Wells, A. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 35. Volume 35 Australia : ABRS & CSIRO Publishing Parts 1-3, 2178 pp.

Smith, D.G. 1989. Order Elopiformes; Families Elopidae, Megalopidae, and Albulidae: Leptocephali. Memoir Sears Foundation for Marine Research. Number I. Fishes of the Western North Atlantic. Part Nine. Volume Two. Sears Foundation for Marine Research, Yale Univ., New Haven. pp. 961–972

Wiley, E.O. & Johnson, G.D. 2010. A teleost classification based on monophyletic groups. pp. 123-182 in Nelson, J.S., Schultze, H.-P. & Wilson, M.V.H. Origin and Phylogenetic Interrelationships of Teleosts. München, Germany : Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil 480 pp.

Common Name References

Nelson, J.S. 2006. Fishes of the World. Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 601 pp. [110] (Tenpounders)

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