ESS 345 Ichthyology

Fish diversity and

classification

Quote of the Day: There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having

been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has

gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless

forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved. -Charles

Darwin, English naturalist (1809 – 1882).

Quick Quiz

Describe in a sentence the largest

physiographic province in PA (5 EC

points)

Physiographic Provinces

Coastal PlainBlue Ridge

Objectives

Define fish

Classify and ID the important fishes at the

family level

Describe significant traits, relationships,

ecology, biology, importance,

conservation, life history, status, etc. of

each family

Importance of fish

Fascination

Evolution

Recreation

Enjoyment

Economy

Aquaria

Env indicators

Resources

– Food

– Medicine

– Fertilizer

– Jewelry

– Tools

– Fuel

Threats (poisons,

pests, parasites)

Human conflict

http://www.nativefishsociety.org/

http://www.nanfa.org/

So, what is a Fish?

What are the common features?

What is a FISH?

Aquatic

Gill Breathing

Poikilotherm

Vertebrate/Craniate

Fins

Fish - definition

Difficult

– Long evolutionary history

– Diverse and adapt

– We don’t have all the info

Berra (1981): a poikilothermic, aquatic chordate with

appendages (when present) developed as fins, whose chief

respiratory organs are gills and whose body is usually covered

by scales

Fish Classification

Binomial Name

– E.g. Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque 1819

– E.g. Lepomis megalotis (Rafinesque) 1820

Lepomis = scale shoulder

megalotis = large ear

Fish Classification

The system is meant to:

Classification in General

Kingdom

– Phylum

Class

– Order

Family

Genus

Species

That is, genealogical relationships

Fish ClassificationKingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata– Class Myxini Hagfish https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmaal7Hf0WA

Subphylum: Craniata / Vertebrata

Superclass: Agnatha– Class: Lamprey (Cyclostomata)

Order: Petromyzontiformes

Family: Petromyzontidae

Superclass: Gnathostomata– Class: Chondrychthys (Cartilaginous fishes)

– Class: Osteichthyes (Bony fishes) (Actinopterygii)24,000 living forms

Largest class of vertebrates

Subclasses of Osteichthyes

Sarcopterygii (lobe finned fishes)

Actinopterygii (ray finned fishes)**– Infraclass Chondrostei (sturgeons, paddlefishes)

Order Acipenseriformes

– Acipenseridae

– Polyodontidae

– Infraclass Neopterygii (modern ray finned fishes)A few diverse lineages (next slide)

Division Teleostei – main line

Two lineages that

are difficult to placeOrder Lepisosteiformes– Lepisosteidae

Order Amiiformes– Amiidae

Longnose Gar

Teleosts

Order: Anguilliformes– Anguillidae

Order: Clupeiformes– Clupeidae

– Threadfin and gizzard shad (Dorosoma)

– Alewife and American shad (Alosa)

Teleosts

Order Cypriniformes

– Cyprinidae

– Catostomidae

Teleosts

Order Siluriformes

– Ictaluridae

Catfishes (Ictalurus)

Bullheads (Ameiurus)

Madtoms (Noturus)

Pylodictis olivaris

Teleosts

Order Esociformes

– Esocidae: (Esox)

– Pike, pickerel, musky

– Mud minnows

Esox lucius (northern pike)

Teleosts

Order Salmoniformes

– Salmonidae

3 species in 3 genera

Oncorhynchus mykiss

Salmo trutta

Salvelinus fontinalis

Teleosts

Order Cyprinodontiformes– Fundulidae – killifishes / topminnows

– Poeciliidae – topminnows / livebearers

– Cyprinodontidae - pupfishes

Teleosts

Order

Gasterosteiformes

– Gasterosteidae

– Cottidae

Cottus bairdi

Teleost are:

A. Lobed fin fishes

B. Boney fishes

C. Primitive ray finned fishes

D. Boney fishes with

cartilaginous skeletons

E. Sharks, skates, and rays

Teleosts

Order Perciformes

– Moronidae

White Perch

Striped bass, rock fish

White bass

Teleosts

Order Perciformes

– Centrarchidae

Lepomis

Pomoxis

Micropterus

Pumpkinseed, Lepomis gibbosus

Pomoxis nigromaculatus

Micropterus salmoides

Not every sunfish is a bluegill

Teleosts

Order Perciformes

– Percidae

– Channidae

Northern Snakehead

(Channa argus)

Etheostoma blennioides

Sander vitreus

Perca

Quick Quiz

What is an adipose fin?

Name 2 families that have one.

What’s the largest fish family?

1. Minnow

2. Temperate Basses

3. Sunfishes

4. Darter

5. Perch

6. Sucker

Largest FW family indigenous to

N. America?

1. Minnow

2. Perch

3. Sucker

4. Catfish

5. Shad

6. FW eels

Second largest family

indigenous to NA

1. Pike

2. Salmon

3. Perch

4. Pupfish

5. Sunfish

6. Bowfin

Why are they indigenous to

N.A.?