Ophidiiformes

{{Short description|Order of ray-finned fish}} {{Automatic taxobox | fossil_range = {{fossil range|Maastrichtian|present}} | image = Fawn cusk-eel.jpg | image_upright = 1.1 | image_caption = Fawn cusk-eel, ''Lepophidium profundorum'' | taxon = Ophidiiformes | authority = L. S. Berg, 1937 | subdivision_ranks = Suborders | subdivision = See text | type_species = ''Ophidion barbatum'' | type_species_authority = Linnaeus 1758 }}

'''Ophidiiformes''' {{IPAc-en|ɒ|'|f|ɪ|d|i|.|ᵻ|f|ɔːr|m|iː|z}} 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.

The earliest fossil members are known from the Maastrichtian, and include the basal ophidiiform ''Pastorius'' from Italy and several species of the basal cusk-eel ''Ampheristus'' from the United States and Germany.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Carnevale |first=Giorgio |last2=Johnson |first2=G. David |date=2015 |title=A Cretaceous Cusk-Eel (Teleostei, Ophidiiformes) from Italy and the Mesozoic Diversification of Percomorph Fishes |url=https://bioone.org/journals/copeia/volume-103/issue-4/CI-15-236/A-Cretaceous-Cusk-Eel-Teleostei-Ophidiiformes-from-Italy-and-the/10.1643/CI-15-236.full |journal=Copeia |volume=103 |issue=4 |pages=771–791 |doi=10.1643/CI-15-236 |issn=0045-8511|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Friedman |first=Matt |last2=V. Andrews |first2=James |last3=Saad |first3=Hadeel |last4=El-Sayed |first4=Sanaa |date=2023-06-16 |title=The Cretaceous–Paleogene transition in spiny-rayed fishes: surveying "Patterson's Gap" in the acanthomorph skeletal record André Dumont medalist lecture 2018 |url=https://popups.uliege.be/1374-8505/index.php?id=7048 |journal=Geologica Belgica |language=en |doi=10.20341/gb.2023.002 |issn=1374-8505|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name=":3">{{cite journal |last1=Near |first1=Thomas J |last2=Thacker |first2=Christine E |date=18 April 2024 |title=Phylogenetic classification of living and fossil ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii) |journal=Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History |volume=65 |doi=10.3374/014.065.0101 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

==Distribution== This order includes a variety of deep-sea species, including the deepest known, ''Abyssobrotula galatheae'', found at {{convert|8370|m|ft}} in the Puerto Rico Trench. Many other species, however, live in shallow water, especially near coral reefs, while a few inhabit freshwater. Most species live in tropical or subtropical habitats, but some species are known from as far north as the coast of Greenland, and as far south as the Weddell Sea.<ref name=EoF>{{cite book |editor=Paxton, J.R. |editor2= Eschmeyer, W.N.|author= Nielsen, Jørgen G.|year=1998|title=Encyclopedia of Fishes|publisher= Academic Press|location=San Diego|pages= 133–134|isbn= 0-12-547665-5}}</ref>

==Characteristics== Ophidiiform fish typically have slender bodies with small heads, and either smooth scales, or none at all. They have long dorsal fins, and an anal fin that is typically united with the caudal fin. The group includes pelagic, benthic, and even parasitic species, although all have a similar body form. Some species are viviparous, giving birth to live young, rather than laying eggs. They range in size from ''Grammanoides opisthodon'' which measures just {{convert|5|cm|in}} in length, to ''Lamprogrammus shcherbachevi'' at {{convert|2|m|ft}} in length.<ref name=EoF/>

The families Ranicipitidae (tadpole cods) and Euclichthyidae (eucla cods) were formerly classified in this order, but are now preferred in Gadiformes; Ranicipitidae has been absorbed within the family Gadidae.

==Classification== The order Ophidiiformes is subdivided into suborders and families as follows:<ref name=":13">{{Cite web |last=Fricke |first=R. |last2=Eschmeyer |first2=W. N. |last3=Van der Laan |first3=R. |date=2025 |title=ESCHMEYER'S CATALOG OF FISHES: CLASSIFICATION |url=https://www.calacademy.org/eschmeyers-catalog-of-fishes-classification |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=California Academy of Sciences |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Wong |first=Man-Kwan |last2=Chen |first2=Wei-Jen |date=2024-10-01 |title=Exploring the phylogeny and depth evolution of cusk eels and their relatives (Ophidiiformes: Ophidioidei) |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1055790324001568 |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |volume=199 |article-number=108164 |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108164 |issn=1055-7903|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

* Order '''Ophidiiformes''' ** Genus †''Pastorius<ref name=":3" />'' (Late Cretaceous of Italy) ** Suborder Ophidioidei *** Family Acanthonidae Wong & Chen, 2024 (deepsea cusk-eels) *** Family Brotulidae Swainson, 1838 (bearded cusk-eels) *** Family Ophidiidae Rafinesque, 1810 (cusk-eels) *** Family Carapidae Poey, 1867 (pearlfishes) **Suborder Bythitoidei *** Family Bythitidae Gill, 1861 — viviparous brotulas *** Family Parabrotulidae Nielsen, 1968 — false brotulas

Until recent taxonomic revisions, the suborder Ophidioidei was a paraphyletic grouping.<ref name=":0" /> However, the Bythitoidei are viviparous and seem to make up a monophyletic group,<ref name = FAO>{{cite book | author1 = Jørgen G. Nielsen | author2 = Daniel M. Cohen | author3 = Douglas F. Markle | author4 = C. Richard Robins | name-list-style = amp | year = 1999 | title = FAO Species Catalogue Volume 18 Ophidiiform Fishes of the World (Order Ophidiiformes) An annotated and illustrated catalogue of pearlfishes, cusk-eels, brotulas and other ophidiiform fishes known to date | publisher = Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome | isbn = 92-5-104375-2 | page = 3}}</ref> while the Ophidioidei are oviparous.<ref name = NOAA>{{cite book | author1 = Daniel M. Cohen | author2 = Jørgen G. Nielsen | name-list-style = amp | year = 1978 | title = NOAA Technical Report NMFS Circular 417 Guide to the Identification of Genera of the Fish Order Ophidiiformes With a Tentative Classification of the Order | url = https://spo.nmfs.noaa.gov/Circulars/CIRC417.pdf | access-date = 30 June 2018 | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Marine Fisheries Service | page = 6}}</ref>

== Timeline of genera == <timeline> ImageSize = width:1000px height:auto barincrement:15px PlotArea = left:10px bottom:50px top:10px right:10px

Period = from:-65.5 till:15 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:-65.5 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:-65.5 TimeAxis = orientation:hor AlignBars = justify

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bar:space bar:period bar:space bar:era

PlotData= align:center textcolor:black fontsize:M mark:(line,black) width:25 shift:(7,-4) bar:periodtop from: -65.5 till: -55.8 color:paleocene text:Paleocene from: -55.8 till: -33.9 color:eocene text:Eocene from: -33.9 till: -23.03 color:oligocene text:Oligocene from: -23.03 till: -5.332 color:miocene text:Miocene from: -5.332 till: -2.588 color:pliocene text:Plio. from: -2.588 till: -0.0117 color:pleistocene text:Pleist. from: -0.0117 till: 0 color:holocene text:H.

bar:eratop from: -65.5 till: -23.03 color:paleogene text:Paleogene from: -23.03 till: -2.588 color:neogene text:Neogene from: -2.588 till: 0 color:quaternary text:Q.

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color:paleocene bar:NAM1 from: -65.5 till: -61.7 text: Eolamprogrammus color:paleocene bar:NAM2 from: -65.5 till: -33.9 text: Ampheristus color:eocene bar:NAM3 from: -55.8 till: 0 text: Ophidion color:eocene bar:NAM4 from: -55.8 till: 0 text: Onuxodon color:eocene bar:NAM5 from: -55.8 till: 0 text: Oligopus color:eocene bar:NAM6 from: -55.8 till: 0 text: Ogilbia color:eocene bar:NAM7 from: -55.8 till: 0 text: Glyptophidium color:eocene bar:NAM8 from: -55.8 till: 0 text: Brotula color:eocene bar:NAM9 from: -48.6 till: -15.97 text: Nolfophidion color:eocene bar:NAM10 from: -48.6 till: 0 text: Neobythites color:eocene bar:NAM11 from: -48.6 till: 0 text: Monomitopus color:eocene bar:NAM12 from: -48.6 till: 0 text: Hoplobrotula color:eocene bar:NAM13 from: -48.6 till: 0 text: Dannevigia color:eocene bar:NAM14 from: -48.6 till: 0 text: Carapus color:eocene bar:NAM15 from: -48.6 till: 0 text: Benthocomectes color:eocene bar:NAM16 from: -37.2 till: 0 text: Saccogaster color:eocene bar:NAM17 from: -37.2 till: 0 text: Dipulus color:oligocene bar:NAM18 from: -33.9 till: -28.4 text: Protobrotula color:oligocene bar:NAM19 from: -33.9 till: -28.4 text: Propteridium color:oligocene bar:NAM20 from: -33.9 till: 0 text: Genypterus color:oligocene bar:NAM21 from: -33.9 till: 0 text: Diplacanthopoma color:oligocene bar:NAM22 from: -28.4 till: 0 text: Sirembo color:oligocene bar:NAM23 from: -28.4 till: 0 text: Echiodon color:miocene bar:NAM24 from: -23.03 till: 0 text: Lepophidium color:miocene bar:NAM25 from: -15.97 till: 0 text: Dermatopsis color:miocene bar:NAM26 from: -11.608 till: 0 text: Bassozetus color:pliocene bar:NAM27 from: -5.332 till: 0 text: Chilara

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bar:period from: -65.5 till: -55.8 color:paleocene text:Paleocene from: -55.8 till: -33.9 color:eocene text:Eocene from: -33.9 till: -23.03 color:oligocene text:Oligocene from: -23.03 till: -5.332 color:miocene text:Miocene from: -5.332 till: -2.588 color:pliocene text:Plio. from: -2.588 till: -0.0117 color:pleistocene text:Pleist. from: -0.0117 till: 0 color:holocene text:H.

bar:era from: -65.5 till: -23.03 color:paleogene text:Paleogene from: -23.03 till: -2.588 color:neogene text:Neogene from: -2.588 till: 0 color:quaternary text:Q.

</timeline>

== References == {{Reflist}}

* {{FishBase_order|order=Ophidiiformes|year=2006|month=February}} * {{ITIS |id=553139 |taxon=Ophidiiformes |access-date=June 23, 2005}} * {{cite journal | last = Sepkoski | first = Jack | title = A compendium of fossil marine animal genera | journal = Bulletins of American Paleontology | volume = 364 |page=560 | year = 2002 | url = http://strata.ummp.lsa.umich.edu/jack/showgenera.php?taxon=611&rank=class | access-date = 2011-05-17 }}

Category:Ophidiiformes Category:Actinopterygii orders Category:Taxa named by Lev Berg