Esociformes

fish order

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July 17, 2026

Quick Summary

The order Esociformes comprises freshwater fish found in the Northern Hemisphere, typically ranging from 2 to 60 inches in length. Key characteristics include the absence of an adipose fin and a swim bladder with an open duct. The maxilla in these fish lacks teeth, and they do not possess pyloric caeca. The pectoral girdle is notable for the absence of a mesocoracoid bone, and tail support is provided by three separate vertebral centra. This order includes two families: Esocidae, which contains the pikes and pickerels, and Umbridae, which includes the mudminnows. The family Esocidae is characterized by elongated, voracious freshwater fish such as pikes, pickerels, and muskellunges.12

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fish
Annotated classification
Order Esociformes (pikes and pickerels) Maxilla toothless, but in gape of mouth; no adipose fin; paired, elongate proethmoids; basibranchial tooth plate in 2 sections; single postcleithrum; cheek and operculum scaled. 2 families, 4 living genera, 10 species. Freshwater, Northern Hemisphere. Late Cretaceous to present. Order
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Order Esociformes (pikes and pickerels) Maxilla toothless, but in gape of mouth; no adipose fin; paired, elongate proethmoids; basibranchial tooth plate in 2 sections; single postcleithrum; cheek and operculum scaled. 2 families, 4 living genera, 10 species. Freshwater, Northern Hemisphere. Late Cretaceous to present. Order
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