Osmeriformes
Quick Summary
The order Osmeriformes encompasses various silvery, cold-water fishes closely related to salmon and trout, commonly known as smelts. These fish, characterized by a small adipose fin, are slender carnivores that typically spawn in freshwater habitats like streams or ponds.1
Key members of this order include:
* Smelts: Such as the American smelt (Osmerus mordax) and the European smelt (O. eperlanus).1
* Pacific Species: Including the rainbow herring (O. dentex), surf smelt (Hypomesus pretiosus), capelin (Mallotus villosus), and the eulachon or candlefish (Thaleichthys pacificus).1
The order Osmeriformes is part of the superorder Protacanthopterygii and is found in marine and freshwater environments across the globe.2
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protacanthopterygian…up of the orders Salmoniformes, Osmeriformes, and Esociformes. The superorder Protacanthopterygii, considered to be the most primitive of the modern teleosts, contains about 366 species in the fresh waters and in the oceans of the world. Included in this group are the familiar trouts, salmons,
Read More…up of the orders Salmoniformes, Osmeriformes, and Esociformes. The superorder Protacanthopterygii, considered to be the most primitive of the modern teleosts, contains about 366 species in the fresh waters and in the oceans of the world. Included in this group are the familiar trouts, salmons,
Read More- protacanthopterygianAnnotated classification
Order Osmeriformes (argentines, deep-sea smelts) Complex posterior branchial structure, the crumenal organ; adipose fin usually present. Freshwater and marine, all oceans. 12 families, 79 genera, and about 290 species. Suborder Argentinoidei About 72 species; 3–40 cm (about 1–15.75 inches) long; marine,
Read MoreOrder Osmeriformes (argentines, deep-sea smelts) Complex posterior branchial structure, the crumenal organ; adipose fin usually present. Freshwater and marine, all oceans. 12 families, 79 genera, and about 290 species. Suborder Argentinoidei About 72 species; 3–40 cm (about 1–15.75 inches) long; marine,
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