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Which living fish families belong to the order Acipenseriformes?
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chondrostean
Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) swimming along the seafloor of the Black Sea.
The order Acipenseriformes includes two living fish families:12
- Acipenseridae: Commonly known as sturgeons, this family is characterized by bodies covered with five rows of enlarged scales and heads protected by bony plates.13
- Polyodontidae: Commonly known as paddlefishes, this family is distinguished by an elongated, paddle-shaped snout supported by stellate ossicles.13