Elopoidei

The Elopoidei are a suborder of ray-finned fishes that includes ladyfishes and tarpons. These fish are found in marine and brackish water habitats. While some are prized game fish, only the Pacific tarpon is economically important as food, supporting a significant fishery in Southeast Asia.1

Elopiforms are considered among the most primitive bony fishes and share characteristics with eels and bonefish. Adult ladyfishes and tarpons are predators, primarily feeding on other fish. Tarpons can reach up to 2.5 meters (about 8 feet) in length, while ladyfishes average about 1 meter (about 3 feet). A notable behavior is their habit of leaping out of the water or "rolling" at the surface, which is believed to be for air intake. Their swim bladder is lunglike and allows them to breathe air, a crucial adaptation for survival in stagnant pools where their postlarval life is spent.1

Elopiforms have a ribbonlike, translucent larval stage called a leptocephalus, which undergoes a significant metamorphosis. The fossil record of Elopidae extends back to the Jurassic Period, indicating a long evolutionary history.1