The order of the flounders (Pleuronectiformes) includes more than 800 species of fish from 16 families. Their distinctive features are a flat body, significantly compressed from the sides, and the placement of the eyes which are shifted to one side of the body. Bottom fish, lying and swimming on their…
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Lophiiformes and Ophidiiformes of the Adriatic.
Anglerfishes (Lophiiformes) is the order of ray-finned fishes, which currently comprises 5 suborders with 18 families, 78 genera, and 363 species. Almost all representatives of Lophiiformes look very bizarre. They are sea inhabitants, most of which prefer to swim in the deep sea. (Humpback anglerfish. Postage stamp of the Republic…
Marlin, swordfish, and barracuda. Istiophoriformes of the Adriatic Sea.
Barracudas, swordfish, and marlins were included in the Scombroidei suborder of the Perciformes order not so long ago. Recently, they have been included in the separate Istiophoriformes order. (“Old Man and the Sea”. Painting by Carey Chen, 2011. careychen.com) The barracudas (Sphyraenidae) family comprises 28 fish species of the monotypic barracudas…
Tunas, bonitos, mackerels, cutlassfishes and others. Scombriformes of the Adriatic.
The Scombriformes order of the Percomorpha clade, like many others, became “independent” not so long ago. It was considered the Scombroidei suborder of the Perciformes order until recently. The order comprises two fish suborders – Scombroidei and Stromateoidei. (Anglers with bluefin tunas. Photo © web.colby.edu) The Scombroidei suborder is represented by three…
Weevers, dragonets, rabbitfishes and others.
This adriaticnature article is the last one that deals with the inhabitants of the Adriatic Sea that represent the most numerous fish order, the Perciformes order, as well as fish, which used to be included in it until recently. However, there will be another article about ex-Perciformes (but today they…
Blenniiformes of the Adriatic Sea.
Just like in the case of the Gobiiformes fish order, which was considered to be the suborder of the Perciformes order until recently, Blenniiformes became a separate order not so long ago, and it belongs to the Ovalentaria clade now. But we won’t go into details of classifications. So let’s…
True gobies (Gobiidae) of the Adriatic Sea.
While walking along the sea embankments and glimpsing into the shallow water, we will certainly notice medium-sized fish moving at the bottom; their color is a perfect disguise. Most of these conspirators belong to the Gobiiformes order of the Percomorpha clade. Until recently, Gobiiformes, as well as some other fish,…
Labroidei of the Adriatic Sea.
The Labroidei suborder of the Perciformes order comprises about 2,300 species, which are united into six families. Most multicolored fish, which can be found almost underfoot at the Mediterranean shore, are representatives of this particular suborder. (Cuckoo wrasse. Drawing by an unknown author, 1836. etsy.com) Most people consider Labroidei to be small…
Groupers, combers and others. Polyprionidae and Serranidae of the Adriatic.
Small representatives of the Serranidae family are some of the most frequent coastal trophies of the fans of fishing with spinning rods in the Adriatic, and their big brothers of the same family are some of the most desired. The Serranidae family comprises 75 genera and about 550 species of…
Dentexes, porgies, gilthead breams and others. Sea breams of the Adriatic Sea.
The Sparidae family of the Perciformes order comprises about 160 fish species of 38 genera. The fish of the family have mainly a broad body and a small mouth with teeth resembling molars of mammals. Some species have front teeth, the shape of which resembles incisors or fangs. (Blackhead seabream…
Sea basses, bluefishes, dolphinfishes, croakers and others. The “poor” relations of the Percoidea superfamily.
In the Adriatic Sea, a fair number of fish of the Perciformes order are represented by one or two species of the families, or they may even be completely monotypic species. Dealing with each family in a separate article is an unattainable luxury. So, adriaticnature compiled the “poor” relations of…
Amberjacks, leerfishes, horse mackerels, jacks and others. Carangidae of the Adriatic Sea.
The Perciformes order is the most numerous fish order, which comprises more than 10,000 species. A lot of adriaticnature articles will deal with representatives of the order inhabiting the Adriatic Sea, so, let’s start with the Carangidae family. Carangidae comprises about 200 fish species of more than 30 genera, which inhabit…
Scorpaeniformes of the Adriatic Sea.
Scorpaeniformes is one of the five largest orders of bony fishes of the Acanthopterygii superorder, which according to various scientific classifications comprises 26 to 35 families and more than 1,300 species. (“Still Life of a Scorpionfish”. Unknown Spanish artist, 17th century. lotsearch.de) Most fishes of the Scorpaeniformes order are carnivorous…
Sunfish, pufferfish, triggerfish and others. Tetraodontiformes and Trachichthyidae of the Adriatic.
Representatives of the Tetraodontiformes order of the Acanthopterygii superorder are mainly inhabitants of seas, except for a few species inhabiting river mouths and streams with fresh water. The order comprises about 350 fishes of 10 families. (Picture from Claude Aubrier’s (1665–1742) “Shells and Fish” album. littlepennydreadful.tumblr.com) Tetraodontiformes have bizarre body shapes,…
Vacation by the Adriatic Sea. Part V.
In the fourth part of the article, adriaticnature tried to deal with most species of medium-sized fish caught during the sea shore fishing and bringing joy from playing with light tackle. However, many fishermen, who come on vacation to the Adriatic Sea, don’t want to catch a multi-colored inhabitant of…
Clingfish, sucker, snipefish, pipefish, cornetfish, seahorse. The Adriatic aquarium.
Medium-sized fishes of the Gobiesociformes and Syngnathiformes orders with bizarre body shapes are interesting representatives of the Acanthopterygii superorder. (Tanzania stamp (2014). Seahorses.) The Gobiesociformes order comprises only one family, that is, the Gobiesocidae family. The overwhelming majority of Gobiesocidae are small (1.5 to 7 centimeters long), the largest representatives…
Garfishes, sauries and flying fishes. The Beloniformes order.
The Beloniformes order, belonging to the Acanthopterygii superorder, comprises six families. Four families of this order inhabit the Adriatic Sea. The Belonidae family includes 10 genera and about 32 species. Most of them inhabit seawater, but some of them inhabit freshwater bodies as well. The largest representative of the family…
Mullets and silversides of the Adriatic.
In the previous articles, adriaticnature tried to deal with the representatives of the following superorders inhabiting the Adriatic Sea: Elopomorpha, Stenopterygii, Scopelomorpha, Lampridiomorpha, Clupeomorpha, Cyclosquamata and Paracanthopterygii. All of them are included into the group of classes (superclass) called Osteichthyes. Another group of fish inhabiting the Adriatic belongs to the…