Gonorynchiformes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gonorynchiformes Temporal range: Early Cretaceous - Recent
Milkfish, Chanos chanos
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Superorder:	Ostariophysi
Order:	Gonorynchiformes L. S. Berg, 1940
Families
Chanidae (milkfish) Gonorynchidae (beaked salmons) Kneriidae (shellears) Phractolaemidae (hingemouths)

The Gonorynchiformes are an order of ray-finned fish. This group includes the important food fish called the milkfish (Chanos chanos). You can find these fish in both the sea and in freshwater.

These fish have small mouths and no teeth. They are the only group in a special fish family called Anotophysi. This family is part of a larger group called Ostariophysi.

Gonorynchiformes have a unique body part called a Weberian apparatus. This is made from their first three backbones and some special ribs in their head. Scientists believe this part helps them to hear. A more complex version of this apparatus is found in related fish like carp.

Just like carp, Gonorynchiformes can release a special substance from their skin when they are hurt. This substance dissolves in the water. It acts like an alarm, telling other fish nearby that there might be danger.

Fish Families and Their Relatives

Scientists group living things into different families to understand how they are related. The Gonorynchiformes order includes several families of fish. Some of these families only exist as fossils, meaning they are ancient fish that are no longer alive today.

Here is a diagram that shows how the main living families of Gonorynchiformes are related:

Here are the main groups within the Gonorynchiformes order:

Gonorynchoidei Suborder

This group includes the "beaked sandfishes."

• Family Gonorynchidae: This family includes the living fish Gonorynchus. Many fossil fish also belong to this family, like Notogoneus, which lived from the Late Cretaceous period to the Oligocene.

Chanoidei Suborder

• Family Chanidae (Milkfishes): This family includes the famous Chanos. Many fossil milkfish relatives have also been found, dating back to the Early Cretaceous period. Some examples are Gordichthys and Dastilbe.

Knerioidei Suborder

• Family Kneriidae (Shellears): This family includes fish like Kneria and Parakneria. There are also smaller groups within this family, such as Cromeria and Grasseichthys.
• Family Phractolaemidae: This family has only one living genus, Phractolaemus. These fish are sometimes called Hingemouths or snake mudheads.

See also

In Spanish: Gonorynchiformes para niños