Perciformes: Order Perciformes

Largest Order of Vertebrates

The family Perciformes is a large order of fish which include over 10,000 species in 1,539 genera and 160 families.

Classification

The following classification shows the families of the perciformes grouped into suborders and superfamilies (based off of Nelson 2006; Fishes of the World)

• Suborder Percoidei
  • Superfamily Percoidea
    • Acropomatidae (temperate ocean-basses or lanternbellies)
    • Ambassidae (Asiatic glassfishes)
    • Apogonidae (cardinalfishes)
    • Arripidae (Australasian salmon)
    • Banjosidae (banjofishes)
    • Bathyclupeidae (bathyclupeids)
    • Bramidae (pomfrets)
    • Caesionidae (fusiliers)
    • Callanthiidae (groppos)
    • Carangidae (jacks, pompanos)
    • Caristiidae (manefishes)
    • Centracanthidae (picarel porgies)
    • Centrarchidae (freshwater sunfishes)
    • Centrogeniidae (false scorpionfiehs)
    • Centropomidae (snooks)
    • Chaetodontidae (butterflyfishes)
    • Coryphaenidae (dolphinfishes)
    • Dichistiidae (galjoen fishes)
    • Dinolestidae (long-finned pikes)
    • Dinopercidae (cavebasses)
    • Drepaneidae (sicklefishes)
    • Echeneidae (remoras or sharksuckers)
    • Emmelichthyidae (rovers)
    • Enoplosidae (oldwives)
    • Epigonidae (deepwater cardinalfishes)
    • Gerreidae (mojarras)
    • Glaucosomatidae (pearl perches)
    • Grammatidae (basslets)
    • Haemulidae (grunts)
    • Inermiidae (bonnetmouths)
    • Kuhliidae (flagtails)
    • Kyphosidae (sea chubs)
    • Lactariidae (false trevallies)
    • Lateolabracidae (Asian seabasses) (Nelson (2006) puts within
      Moronidae, but recognized as families by Echmeyer (1998) and Springer
      and Johnson (2004))
    • Latidae (lates)
    • Leiognathidae (ponyfishes, slimys, or slipmouths)
    • Leptobramidae (beachsalmon)
    • Lethrinidae (emperors or emperor breams)
    • Lobotidae (tripletails)
    • Lutjanidae (snappers, fusiliers)
    • Malacanthidae (tilefishes)
    • Menidae (moonfishes)
    • Monodactylidae (moonfishes or fingerfishes)
    • Moronidae (temperate basses)
    • Mullidae (goatfishes)
    • Nandidae (Asian leaffishes)
    • Nematistiidae (roosterfishes)
    • Nemipteridae (threadfin breams)
    • Notograptidae (bearded eelblennies)
    • Opistognathidae (jawfishes)
    • Oplegnathidae (knifejaws)
    • Ostracoberycidae (ostracoberycids)
    • Pempheridae (sweepers)
    • Pentacerotidae (armorheads)
    • Percichthyidae (temperate perches)
    • Percidae (perches and darters)
    • Perciliiidae (southern basses)
    • Plesiopidae (roundheads)
    • Polycentridae (Afro-American leaffishes)
    • Polynemidae (threadfins)
    • Polyprionidae (wreckfishes)
    • Pomacanthidae (angelfishes)
    • Pomatomidae (bluefishes)
    • Priacanthidae (bigeyes, catalufas)
    • Pseudochromidae (dottybacks)
    • Rachycentridae (cobias)
    • Sciaenidae (drums)
    • Scombropidae (gnomefish)
    • Serranidae (sea basses, groupers)
    • Sillaginidae (sillagos, whitings, smelt-whitings)
    • Sparidae (porgies)
    • Symphysanodontidae (slopefishes)
    • Terapontidae (grunters or tigerperches)
    • Toxotidae (archerfishes)
  • Superfamily Cirrhitoidea
    • Aplodactylidae (marblefishes)
    • Cheilodactylidae (morwongs)
    • Chironemidae (kelpfishes)
    • Cirrhitidae (hawkfishes)
    • Latridae (trumpeters)
  • Superfamily Cepoloidea
    • Cepolidae (bandfishes)
• Suborder Elassomatoidei
  • Elassomatidae (pygmy sunfishes)
• Suborder Labroidei
  • Cichlidae (cichlids)
  • Embiotocidae (surfperches)
  • Labridae (wrasses)
  • Odacidae (cales)
  • Pomacentridae (damselfishes)
  • Scaridae (parrotfishes)
• Suborder Zoarcoidei
  • Anarhichadidae (wolffishes)
  • Bathymasteridae (ronquils)
  • Cryptacanthodidae (wrymouths)
  • Pholidae (gunnels)
  • Ptilichthyidae (quillfishes)
  • Scytalinidae (graveldivers)
  • Stichaeidae (pricklebacks)
  • Zaproridae (prowfishes)
  • Zoarcidae (eelpouts)
• Suborder Notothenioidei (sometimes included in Percoidei)
  • Artedidraconidae (barbeled plunderfishes)
  • Bathydraconidae (Antarctic dragonfishes)
  • Bovichtidae (temperate icefishes)
  • Channichthyidae (crocodile icefishes)
  • Eleginopidae (Patagonian blennies)
  • Harpagiferidae (spiny plunderfishes)
  • Nototheniidae (cod icefishes)
  • Pseudaphritidae (catadromous icefishes)
• Suborder Trachinoidei
  • Ammodytidae (sand lances)
  • Champsodontidae (gapers)
  • Cheimarrhichthyidae (New Zealand torrent fishes)
  • Creediidae (sandburrowers)
  • Leptoscopidae (southern sandfishes)
  • Percophidae (duckbills)
  • Pinguipedidae (sandperches)
  • Trachinidae (weeverfishes)
  • Trichodontidae (sandfishes)
  • Trichonotidae (sanddivers)
  • Uranoscopidae (stargazers)
• Suborder Blennioidei
  • Blenniidae (combtooth blennies)
  • Chaenopsidae (tube blennies)
  • Clinidae (kelp blennies)
  • Dactyloscopidae (sand stargazers)
  • Labrisomidae (labrisomid blennies)
  • Tripterygiidae (triplefin blennies)
• Suborder Pholidichthyoidei
  • Pholidichthyidae (convict blenny)
• Suborder Icosteoidei (Malacichthyes)
  • Icosteidae (ragfishes)
• Suborder Gobiesocoidei
  • Gobiesocidae (clingfishes)
• Suborder Callionymoidei
  • Callionymidae (dragonets)
  • Draconettidae (slope dragonets)
• Suborder Gobioidei
  • Eleotridae (sleepers)
  • Gobiidae (gobies)
  • Kraemeriidae (sandfishes or sand gobies)
  • Microdesmidae (wormfishes)
  • Odontobutidae (freshwter sleepers)
  • Ptereleotridae (dartfishes)
  • Rhyacichthyidae (loach gobies)
  • Schindleriidae (infant fishes)
  • Xenisthmidae (xenisthmids)
• Suborder Kurtoidei
  • Kurtidae (nurseryfishes)
• Suborder Acanthuroidei
  • Acanthuridae (surgeonfishes)
  • Ephippidae (spadefishes)
  • Luvaridae (louvar)
  • Scatophagidae (scats)
  • Siganidae (rabbitfishes)
  • Zanclidae (moorish idol)
• Suborder Scombrolabracoidei
  • Scombrolabracidae (longfin escolars)
• Suborder Scombroidei
  • Gempylidae (snake mackerels)
  • Istiophoridae (billfishes)
  • Scombridae (mackerels and tunas)
  • Sphyraenidae (barracudas)
  • Trichiuridae (cutlassfishes)
  • Xiphiidae (swordfishes)
• Suborder Stromateoidei
  • Amarsipidae (amarsipas)
  • Ariommatidae (ariommatids)
  • Centrolophidae (medusafishes)
  • Nomeidae (driftfishes)
  • Tetragonuridae (squaretails)
  • Stromateidae (butterfishes)
• Suborder Anabantoidei
  • Anabantidae (climbing gouramies)
  • Helostomatidae (kissing gourami)
  • Osphronemidae (giant gouramies)
  • Belontiidae (combtail gouramies) is recognized by some as a family,
    but Nelson (2006) recognizes it as a subfamily (Belontiinae) of
    Osphronemidae
• Suborder Channoidei
  • Channidae (snakeheads)
• Suborder Caproidei
  • Caproidae (boarfishes)