Clupeiformes

Clupeiformes is an order of ray-finned fish that includes the herring family Clupeidae, and the anchovy family Engraulidae. The group includes many of the most important forage and food fish. They are physostomes.

Description

Clupeiformes are slightly slender in appearance. Some of them are deep-bodied, like the genus Pellona. While most of the Clupeiformes live in oceans, others are native to freshwater lakes.

Classification

The order includes about 405 species in 11 families:

Order Clupeiformes
- Suborder Denticipitoidei
  - Family Denticipitidae (denticle herring)
- Suborder Clupeoidei
  - Family Engraulidae (anchovies)
    - Subfamily Coiliinae
    - Subfamily Engraulinae
  - Family Spratelloididae
  - Family Pristigasteridae (longfin herrings)
    - Subfamily Pristigasterinae
    - Subfamily Pelloninae
  - Family Chirocentridae (wolf herrings)
  - Family Dussumieriidae (round herrings)
  - Family Clupeidae (herrings)
  - Family Ehiravidae
  - Family Alosidae (shads, sardines and menhadens)
  - Family Dorosomatidae

Species

Atlantic herring

Dorab wolf-herring

The Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) is a herring in the family Clupeidae.

Denticle herring

The denticle herring (Denticeps clupeoides) is a small species of ray-finned fish found only in the rivers of Benin, Nigeria, and western Cameroon.

Rainbow sardine

The rainbow sardine (Dussumieria acuta), also known as common sprat, is a species of round herring important to aquaculture.

Related pages

References

Nelson, Gareth (1998). Paxton, J.R.; Eschmeyer, W.N. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 91–95. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.
Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 363: 1–560. Archived from the original on 2009-02-20. Retrieved 2011-05-17.

This is a denticle herring.

Other websites

Clupeiformes on FishBase