What are perciform fish?

Perciforms are members of the largest group of fishes, with over 6,000 species in about 150 families. They are bony fishes found in marine and freshwater environments, from shallow ponds to ocean depths of over 2,300 meters. Most perciforms live in coastal areas of tropical and temperate regions and include many important food and game fishes like tunas , sea basses , and sunfishes . They typically have spines on their dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins, with the dorsal fin often divided into two parts for defense. Their pelvic fins, usually positioned below the pectoral fins, enhance maneuverability. Adaptations in mouth and jaw structure reflect diverse feeding behaviors, from protrusible jaws to specialized teeth for various diets. As both predators and prey, perciforms play a crucial role in ecological food chains.

Where are perciform fish commonly found?

Perciform fish, the largest group of fishes, inhabit marine and freshwater environments worldwide. They are commonly found in tropical and temperate coastal regions, shallow freshwater ponds, and ocean depths of over 2,300 metres (7,500 feet). Coral reefs teem with colorful perciforms like wrasses, butterfly fishes, and gobies. The Indo-West Pacific region has the greatest variety of fish fauna, a large part of which is perciform. Approximately 75 percent of Antarctic fish are perciforms, including icefishes. Cichlids, a freshwater perciform, are native to India, Africa, South America, and parts of southern North America, but have been introduced elsewhere. Perch and sunfish families are found in North America and Europe.

What are some examples of perciform fish?

Perciforms, the largest order of fishes, include over 6,000 species across about 150 families. They are found in both marine and freshwater environments, from shallow ponds to ocean depths exceeding 2,300 metres (7,500 feet). Examples of perciform fish include: * Tunas, mackerels, bonitos, and skipjacks These belong to the family Scombridae and are important food fish. * Sea basses These belong to the family Serranidae. * Sunfishes These belong to the family Centrarchidae and are freshwater fish. * Perches and walleyes These belong to the family Percidae and are freshwater food and sport fish. * Cardinal fishes These are often reddish marine species that live around coral reefs in the tropics and subtropics. * Damselfishes These are abundant, active, and often brightly colored fish found near shores and coral reefs. * Billfishes and marlins These belong to the family Istiophoridae. * Swordfish These belong to the family Xiphiidae.

What features do most perciform fish share?

Perciforms, the largest group of fishes, exhibit a wide array of features, but some common characteristics can be identified. Most perciform fish have spines on their dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins. The dorsal fin is typically divided into two sections, the first being supported by spiny rays believed to have evolved for defense. The pelvic fins are usually located directly below or slightly ahead of the pectoral fins, supported by one spine and five or fewer soft rays, which gives them an advantage in maneuvering. While a diversity of mouth and jaw structures are present, perciforms typically have protrusible jaws. Their teeth vary based on diet, ranging from fine, pointed teeth for piscivores to chisel-like incisors or beaklike structures for herbivores. These fishes are highly successful and can be found worldwide.

Why are perciform fish considered the largest group of fish?

Perciforms are considered the largest group of fishes due to their remarkable success and diversification across various aquatic environments. This order, also known as Perciformes, includes over 6,000 species categorized into about 150 families. Perciforms are abundant in marine and freshwater habitats, from shallow ponds to ocean depths exceeding 2,300 meters (7,500 feet). Most perciforms are marine fishes inhabiting coastal tropical and temperate regions. Their success is attributed to diverse feeding adaptations, occupying both predator and prey roles in ecological food chains. Many perciforms are important food and game fishes, such as tunas , sea basses , and sunfishes . Colorful perciforms, like wrasses and butterfly fishes , thrive in coral reefs.

How do perciform fish adapt to different environments?

Perciforms, the largest group of fishes, display diverse adaptations to thrive in various environments. Their success results from varied feeding behaviors; some are predators, consuming smaller fish, while others are herbivores, feeding on algae and plankton. Many perciforms possess remarkable camouflage through coloration and shape, blending seamlessly into coral or rocky environments. This allows them to evade predators or ambush prey effectively. Furthermore, perciforms have a lateral line system that helps them detect movements and pressure changes in the water, aiding in locating prey or avoiding predators. Some species can also adjust their physiology to move between fresh and saltwater.

perciform

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Bluefin tuna swimming underwater in a group, with silvery bodies and streamlined shapes, near Japan.

Three cichlid fish from the genus Diplotaxodon are arranged side by side on a textured green surface.

perciform

fish

Also known as: Perciformes

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Warren Curtis FreihoferAll

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Top Questions

What are perciform fish?
Perciforms are members of the largest group of fishes, with over 6,000 species in about 150 families. They are bony fishes found in marine and freshwater environments, from shallow ponds to ocean depths of over 2,300 meters.

Most perciforms live in coastal areas of tropical and temperate regions and include many important food and game fishes like tunas, sea basses, and sunfishes. They typically have spines on their dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins, with the dorsal fin often divided into two parts for defense. Their pelvic fins, usually positioned below the pectoral fins, enhance maneuverability. Adaptations in mouth and jaw structure reflect diverse feeding behaviors, from protrusible jaws to specialized teeth for various diets. As both predators and prey, perciforms play a crucial role in ecological food chains.
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2. perciform
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Where are perciform fish commonly found?
Perciform fish, the largest group of fishes, inhabit marine and freshwater environments worldwide. They are commonly found in tropical and temperate coastal regions, shallow freshwater ponds, and ocean depths of over 2,300 metres (7,500 feet).

Coral reefs teem with colorful perciforms like wrasses, butterfly fishes, and gobies. The Indo-West Pacific region has the greatest variety of fish fauna, a large part of which is perciform. Approximately 75 percent of Antarctic fish are perciforms, including icefishes. Cichlids, a freshwater perciform, are native to India, Africa, South America, and parts of southern North America, but have been introduced elsewhere. Perch and sunfish families are found in North America and Europe.
1 Britannica Source
1. perciform
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What are some examples of perciform fish?
Perciforms, the largest order of fishes, include over 6,000 species across about 150 families. They are found in both marine and freshwater environments, from shallow ponds to ocean depths exceeding 2,300 metres (7,500 feet).

Examples of perciform fish include:
* Tunas, mackerels, bonitos, and skipjacks These belong to the family Scombridae and are important food fish.
* Sea basses These belong to the family Serranidae.
* Sunfishes These belong to the family Centrarchidae and are freshwater fish.
* Perches and walleyes These belong to the family Percidae and are freshwater food and sport fish.
* Cardinal fishes These are often reddish marine species that live around coral reefs in the tropics and subtropics.
* Damselfishes These are abundant, active, and often brightly colored fish found near shores and coral reefs.
* Billfishes and marlins These belong to the family Istiophoridae.
* Swordfish These belong to the family Xiphiidae.
1 Britannica Source
1. perciform
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What features do most perciform fish share?
Perciforms, the largest group of fishes, exhibit a wide array of features, but some common characteristics can be identified. Most perciform fish have spines on their dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins. The dorsal fin is typically divided into two sections, the first being supported by spiny rays believed to have evolved for defense.

The pelvic fins are usually located directly below or slightly ahead of the pectoral fins, supported by one spine and five or fewer soft rays, which gives them an advantage in maneuvering. While a diversity of mouth and jaw structures are present, perciforms typically have protrusible jaws. Their teeth vary based on diet, ranging from fine, pointed teeth for piscivores to chisel-like incisors or beaklike structures for herbivores.

These fishes are highly successful and can be found worldwide.
5 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why are perciform fish considered the largest group of fish?
Perciforms are considered the largest group of fishes due to their remarkable success and diversification across various aquatic environments. This order, also known as Perciformes, includes over 6,000 species categorized into about 150 families.

Perciforms are abundant in marine and freshwater habitats, from shallow ponds to ocean depths exceeding 2,300 meters (7,500 feet). Most perciforms are marine fishes inhabiting coastal tropical and temperate regions. Their success is attributed to diverse feeding adaptations, occupying both predator and prey roles in ecological food chains.

Many perciforms are important food and game fishes, such as tunas, sea basses, and sunfishes. Colorful perciforms, like wrasses and butterfly fishes, thrive in coral reefs.
1 Britannica Source
1. perciform
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How do perciform fish adapt to different environments?
Perciforms, the largest group of fishes, display diverse adaptations to thrive in various environments. Their success results from varied feeding behaviors; some are predators, consuming smaller fish, while others are herbivores, feeding on algae and plankton.

Many perciforms possess remarkable camouflage through coloration and shape, blending seamlessly into coral or rocky environments. This allows them to evade predators or ambush prey effectively.

Furthermore, perciforms have a lateral line system that helps them detect movements and pressure changes in the water, aiding in locating prey or avoiding predators. Some species can also adjust their physiology to move between fresh and saltwater.
7 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

walleyed pikeWalleyed pike (*Sander vitreus*).

perciform, (order Perciformes), any member of the largest group of fishes in the world, represented by more than 6,000 species placed in about 150 families. Perciforms are bony fishes that occur in abundance in both marine and freshwater areas of the world, ranging from shallow freshwater ponds to depths of more than 2,300 metres (7,500 feet) in the oceans. Most perciforms are marine fishes, generally found along coastal areas of tropical and temperate regions of the world.

The order includes many of the world’s most important food and game fishes, such as tunas, mackerels, bonitos, and skipjacks (family Scombridae), billfishes and marlins (Istiophoridae), swordfish (Xiphiidae), sea basses (Serranidae), and carangids (Carangidae), a large family that includes pompanos, jacks, cavallas, and scads. The freshwater food and sport fishes of the perciform order include the sunfishes (Centrarchidae) and the perches and walleyes (Percidae). Many perciforms are popular aquarium fishes.

General features

Size range

perciformsRepresentative perciforms of the families Sphyraenidae, Centrarchidae, Moronidae, Scombropidae, Apogonidae, Serranidae, Mugilidae, Polynemidae, and Plesiopidae.

Perciform fishes vary greatly in size. They range from the tiny freshwater goby Pandaka pygmaea (Gobiidae) of the Philippines, which is fully grown at about 1.2 cm (less than 0.5 inch) in length, to the black marlin (Makaira indica), swordfish (Xiphias gladius), and bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), which attain lengths of about 3.3 metres (11 feet). The bluefin tuna and the Indo-Pacific black marlin have been known to exceed 680 kg (1,500 pounds) in body weight. Generally, most percoid fishes fall within the range of 30 to 250 cm (12 to 98 inches) in length.

Distribution

moon wrasseMoon wrasse (*Thalassoma lunare*).

Perciform fishes occur worldwide and are clearly a highly successful group. The coral reefs of tropical seas abound with colourful perciforms, including such species as wrasses, butterfly fishes, gobies, damselfishes, blennies, and cardinal fishes. The perciform order comprises a large part of the fauna of the Indo-West Pacific region, which is probably the world’s richest in the variety of its fish fauna. Of the Antarctic fish fauna, approximately 75 percent belong to the order Perciformes. These cold-water perciforms include the icefishes (family Channichthyidae [Chaenichthyidae]), known for their “bloodless” appearance, which results from the lack or near lack of red blood cells and blood pigments. Freshwater perciforms include the cichlids (family Cichlidae), which occur naturally in India, Africa, South America, and parts of southern North America; these fishes also have been introduced elsewhere. The perch and sunfish families are found in North America and Europe, and the European perch (Perca fluviatilis) occurs well north in Siberia.

Importance

Use as food

Since early times, the rivers and oceans have provided humans with food; fishing was one of the earliest means for securing food. Archaeological findings among shell mounds of Scotland indicate that the sea bream (family Sparidae) formed part of the diet of early humans. The Nile perches (family Latidae) have been found as mummies in ancient tombs in Egypt. The goatfishes (family Mullidae) appear in ancient Roman archives as one of the most highly valued food fishes, and in Japan the goatfish holds a good market and is eaten raw as sashimi or in the form of steamed fish cakes known as kamaboko. In Japanese art through the ages, the fish god is shown with the “king of sea fish” under one arm; this highly valued food fish is the porgy Chrysophrys major (family Sparidae). A Japanese New Year’s dinner usually includes buriko, the eggs of the sandfish Arctoscopus japonicus (family Trichodontidae).

Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)

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The perciform fishes play an important part in commercial fisheries all over the world. Isinglass, which is used in the production of jellies and also in the process of clarification of wine and beer, is obtained from fishes that include the drums (family Sciaenidae) and the threadfins (family Polynemidae). The skin of the wolffishes (family Anarhichadidae) provides a leather of fair quality. The guanin present in the skin of the Japanese cutlass fish (Trichiurus; Trichiuridae) is used in the manufacture of artificial pearls in Japan.

Breeding and cultivation of perciforms have been successful in many parts of the world. The African mouthbreeder (Tilapia macrocephala; Cichlidae) has been successfully introduced in many areas and is valued for its rapid rate of reproduction and growth, providing a source of low-cost protein.

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Aquarium fishes

Colourful and interesting perciforms are kept for aesthetic reasons by aquarists, augmenting an industry partially supported by fishes of other orders. Popular aquarium fishes of the perciform order include cichlids, butterfly fishes (Chaetodontidae), angelfishes (Pomacanthidae), labyrinth fishes (suborder Anabantoidei) such as the Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) and the kissing gourami (Helostoma temmincki), and various gobies (Gobiidae), blennies, and blennylike fishes of the suborder Blennioidei.

The freshwater angelfish Pterophyllum scalare and the discus (Symphysodon discus) are among the most popular aquarium fishes for breeding because of their remarkable means of feeding their young on the mucous secretions of their bodies.

perciform

General features

Size range

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Distribution

Importance

Use as food

Aquarium fishes