Teleosteomorpha

Teleosteomorpha is a clade of ray-finned fishes containing all teleost fish and their closest extinct relatives.^[1] Also in this group are two diverse Mesozoic fish orders, the Aspidorhynchiformes and the Pachycormiformes.^[2] Several other non-teleostomorph teleosteans existed throughout the Mesozoic, although not as dominant as the two main clades in the group.

Teleosteomorpha Temporal range: Middle Triassic–present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Thunnus maccoyii, a teleost
Vinctifer comptoni, an aspidorhynchiform
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Subclass:	Neopterygii
Infraclass:	Teleosteomorpha Arratia, 2001
Subdivisions
†Aspidorhynchiformes †Pachycormiformes †Pholidophoridae †Dorsetichthys †Leptolepidae †Ichthyodectiformes Teleostei (crown group) Others, see text

Shared morphological features of this group include a autosphenotic bone lacking a dermal component, the lack of a canal bearing part of the antorbital bone, the lack of vertebral centra fused into the occipital condyle in adult individuals, and each hypural (caudal fin support) being articulated with caudal rays.^[3]

The oldest known teleosteomorph is Prohalecites from the Triassic of Italy.^[2] The last surviving non-teleostean teleosteomorph was Belonostomus, which survived into the Late Paleocene.

Taxonomy

Cladogram of Teleosteomorpha after Sferco et al. 2021:^[4]

	Holostei
Teleosteomorpha	Pachycormiformes Aspidorhynchiformes Mesturus Pholidophoridae Siemensichythys Dorsetichthys Eurycormus Leptolepidae Luisiellidae Tharsis dubius Varasichthyidae Ascalabos Ichthyodectiformes Teleostei crown group (including Crossognathiformes)
(Teleostei total group)

The cladogram below is simplified after a phylogenetic analysis by Bean (2021).^[5]

Teleosteomorpha	Pachycormidae Aspidorhynchidae Teleostei Archaeomaenidae Pholidophoridae Prohalecites Eurycormus Ankylophoridae Ichthyokentema Dorsetichthys Leptolepis Ascalaboidae Varasichthyidae Crown group Teleostei

Teleosteomorpha contains both the smallest (Paedocypris progenetica, above) and the largest (Leedsichthys problematicus, below) known ray-finned fish to have ever existed.

Where applicable, taxonomic order is based on the 5th edition of Fishes of the World:^[2]

• Infraclass Teleosteomorpha
  • Genus †Ruedersdorfia^[6]
  • Genus †Seinstedtia^[7]
  • Family †Atacamichthyidae
  • Family †Barschichthyidae^[6]
  • Family †Ichthyokentemidae
  • Family †Marcopoloichthyidae
  • Order †Prohaleciteiformes
  • Division †Aspidorhynchei (Early Jurassic to Paleocene, not always found to be monophyletic)
    • Order †Aspidorhynchiformes
    • Order †Pachycormiformes
  • Division Teleostei (Middle Triassic to present)
    • Family †Archaeomaenidae
    • Family †Koonwarriidae
    • Family †Luisiellidae
    • Family †Pleuropholidae
    • Family †Siyuichthyidae
    • Family †Varasichthyidae^[8]
    • Order †Ankylophoriformes
    • Order †?Araripichthyiformes
    • Order †Ascalaboidiformes
    • Order †Catervarioliformes
    • Order †?Ligulelliiformes
    • Order †Pholidophoriformes
    • Order †Dorsetichthyiformes
    • Order †Leptolepidiformes
    • Order †Ichthyodectiformes
    • Supercohort Teleocephala
      • Order †Crossognathiformes (excluding Varasichthyidae)^[8]
      • Cohort Elopomorpha
        • Order Elopiformes, including the ladyfishes and tarpon
        • Order Albuliformes, the bonefishes
        • Order Notacanthiformes, including the halosaurs and spiny eels
        • Order Anguilliformes, the true eels
      • Clade Osteoglossocephala
        • Cohort Osteoglossomorpha
          • Order †Lycopteriformes
          • Order Osteoglossiformes, the bony-tongued fishes
          • Order Hiodontiformes, including the mooneye and goldeye
        • Clade Clupeocephala
          • Family †Orthogonikleithridae
          • Order †Tselfatiiformes
          • Cohort Otocephala
            • Superorder Clupeomorpha
              • Order †Ellimmichthyiformes
              • Order Clupeiformes, including herrings and anchovies
            • Superorder Ostariophysi
              • Order †Sorbininardiformes
              • Order Gonorynchiformes, including the milkfishes
              • Order Cypriniformes, including barbs, carp, danios, goldfishes, loaches, minnows, rasboras
              • Order Characiformes, including characins, pencilfishes, hatchetfishes, piranhas, tetras.
              • Order Gymnotiformes, including electric eels and knifefishes
              • Order Siluriformes, the catfishes
          • Cohort Euteleostei
            • Order Lepidogalaxiiformes, the salamanderfish
            • Superorder Protacanthopterygii
              • Order Salmoniformes, including salmon, Arctic char, and trout
              • Order Esociformes, the pikes and mudminnows
            • Superorder Osmeromorpha
              • Order Argentiniformes, including the barreleyes and slickheads (formerly in Osmeriformes)
              • Order Galaxiiformes, the galaxiids
              • Order Osmeriformes, including the smelts
              • Order Stomiiformes, including the bristlemouths and marine hatchetfishes
            • Clade Neoteleostei
              • Superorder Ateleopodomorpha
                • Order Ateleopodiformes, the jellynose fish
              • Clade Eurypterygii
                • Superorder Cyclosquamata
                  • Order Aulopiformes, including the Bombay duck, tripod fish, and lancetfishes
                • Clade Ctenosquamata
                  • Superorder Scopelomorpha
                    • Order Myctophiformes, including the lanternfishes
                  • Clade Acanthomorpha
                    • Order †Ctenothrissiformes
                    • Superorder Lampridiomorpha
                      • Order Lampriformes, including the oarfish, opah and ribbonfishes
                    • Clade Euacanthomorpha
                      • Superorder Paracanthopterygii
                        • Order Polymixiiformes, the beardfishes
                        • Order †Sphenocephaliformes
                        • Order Percopsiformes, including the cavefishes and trout-perches
                        • Order Zeiformes, including the dories
                        • Order Gadiformes, including cods
                      • Superorder Acanthopterygii
                        • Series Berycida
                          • Order Holocentriformes, including soldierfishes and squirrelfishes
                          • Order Trachichthyiformes, including slimeheads and fangtooths
                          • Order Beryciformes, including alfonsinos and pineconefishes
                        • Series Percomorpha
                          • Order Ophidiiformes, including the pearlfishes and cusk-eels
                          • Order Batrachoidiformes, the toadfishes
                          • Order Kurtiformes, including the cardinalfishes
                          • Order Gobiiformes, including the gobies
                          • Subseries Ovalentaria, including glassfishes, basslets, damselfishes, jawfishes, and others
                            • Order Mugiliformes, the mullets
                            • Order Cichliformes, the cichlids and convict blenny
                            • Order Blenniiformes, the blennies
                            • Order Gobiesociformes, the clingfishes^[9]
                            • Order Atheriniformes, including silversides and rainbowfishes
                            • Order Beloniformes, including the flyingfishes
                            • Order Cyprinodontiformes, including live-bearers, killifishes
                          • Order Synbranchiformes, including the swamp eels
                          • Order Carangiformes, including the jacks
                          • Order Istiophoriformes, the billfishes and barracudas
                          • Order Anabantiformes, including gouramis and snakeheads
                          • Order Pleuronectiformes, the flatfishes
                          • Order Syngnathiformes, including the seahorses and pipefishes^[10]
                          • Order Icosteiformes, the ragfish
                          • Order Callionymiformes, including the dragonets
                          • Order Scombralabraciformes, the longfin escolar
                          • Order Scombriformes, including mackerel and tunas
                          • Order Trachiniformes, including swallowers and stargazers
                          • Order Labriformes, including wrasses and parrotfishes
                          • Order Perciformes, including perches, scats, groupers, butterflyfishes, angelfishes, and others
                          • Order Scorpaeniformes, including scorpionfishes and the sculpins
                          • Order Moroniformes, including the temperate basses and spadefishes
                          • Order Acanthuriformes, including drums, surgeonfishes, and Moorish idols
                          • Order Spariformes, the breams and porgies
                          • Order Caproiformes, the boarfishes
                          • Order Lophiiformes, including the anglerfishes
                          • Order Tetraodontiformes, including the sunfish, filefishes and pufferfish

References

1. Arratia, Gloria (2001-12-14). "The sister-group of Teleostei: consensus and disagreements". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 21 (4): 767–773. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2001)021[0767:TSGOTC]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 85895344.
2. Nelson, Joseph S.; Grande, Terry C.; Wilson, Mark V. H. (2016-02-22). Fishes of the World. Wiley. doi:10.1002/9781119174844. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6.
3. Arratia, Gloria (2017-03-04). "New Triassic teleosts (Actinopterygii, Teleosteomorpha) from northern Italy and their phylogenetic relationships among the most basal teleosts". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 37 (2): e1312690. Bibcode:2017JVPal..37E2690A. doi:10.1080/02724634.2017.1312690. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 89773927.
4. Sferco, Emilia; López-Arbarello, Adriana; Báez, Ana María (December 2015). "Phylogenetic relationships of †Luisiella feruglioi (Bordas) and the recognition of a new clade of freshwater teleosts from the Jurassic of Gondwana". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 15 (1): 268. Bibcode:2015BMCEE..15..268S. doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0551-6. ISSN 1471-2148. PMC 4668602. PMID 26630925.
5. Bean, L. B. (2021). "Revision of the Mesozoic freshwater fish clade Archaeomaenidae". Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology. 45 (2): 217–259. doi:10.1080/03115518.2021.1937700. S2CID 237518065.
6. Arratia, G.; Schultze, H.-P. (2024). "The oldest teleosts (Teleosteomorpha): their early taxonomic, phenotypic, and ecological diversification during the Triassic". Fossil Record. 27 (1): 29–53. Bibcode:2024FossR..27...29A. doi:10.3897/fr.27.115970.
7. Schultze, Hans-Peter; Arratia, Gloria; Hauschke, Norbert; Wilde, Volker (2022). "Osteichthyan Fishes from the uppermost Norian (Triassic) of the Fuchsberg near Seinstedt, Lower Saxony (Germany)". Diversity. 14 (11): 901. doi:10.3390/d14110901. ISSN 1424-2818.
8. Sferco, Emilia; López-Arbarello, Adriana; Báez, Ana María (2015-12-03). "Phylogenetic relationships of †Luisiella feruglioi (Bordas) and the recognition of a new clade of freshwater teleosts from the Jurassic of Gondwana". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 15 (1): 268. Bibcode:2015BMCEE..15..268S. doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0551-6. ISSN 1471-2148. PMC 4668602. PMID 26630925.
9. In ITIS, Gobiesociformes is placed as the suborder Gobiesocoidei of the order Perciformes.
10. In ITIS, Syngnathiformes is placed as the suborder Syngnathoidei of the order Gasterosteiformes.