The Beryciformes are a poorly-understood order of carnivorous ray-finned fishes consisting of 7 families, 30 genera, and 161 species. They feed on small fish and invertebrates. Beyond this, little is known about the biology of most member species because of their nocturnal habits and deepwater habitats. Some species move closer to the surface at night, while others live entirely in shallow water and are nocturnal, hiding in rock crevices and caves during the day. Several species are mesopelagic and bathypelagic. Beryciformes' bodies are deep and mildly compressed, typically with large eyes that help them see in darker waters. Colors range from red to yellow and brown to black, and sizes range from .

Classification

The following classification is based on Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes:

  • Order Beryciformes
  • Suborder Holocentroidei
  • Family Holocentridae <small>Bonaparte, 1833</small> (soldierfishes & squirrelfishes)
  • Suborder Berycoidei
  • Family Berycidae <small>Lowe, 1839</small> (alfonsinos & nannygais)
  • Family Melamphaidae <small>Gill, 1893</small> (bigscale fishes)
  • Suborder Stephanoberycoidei
  • Family Stephanoberycidae <small>Gill, 1884</small> (pricklefishes)
  • Family Hispidoberycidae <small>Kotlyar, 1981</small> (spiny-scale pricklefishes)
  • Family Gibberichthyidae <small>Parr, 1933</small> (gibberfishes)
  • Family Rondeletiidae <small>Goode & Bean, 1895</small> (redmouth whalefishes)
  • Family Barbourisiidae <small>Parr, 1945</small> (red/velvet whalefishes)
  • Family Cetomimidae <small>Goode & Bean, 1895</small> (flabby whalefishes)

The following fossil families are also known:

  • Suborder Holocentroidei
  • Family †Tenuicentridae <small>Gayet</small><small>, 1982</small>
  • Family †Caproberycidae <small>Patterson</small><small>, 1967</small>
  • Suborder Berycoidei
  • Family †Quaesitoberycidae <small>Bannikov & Sorbini, 2005</small>

In the past, the Trachichthyiformes and Polymixiiformes were also placed within this order. However, such a classification is now known to be paraphyletic.thumb|[[Pseudoberyx|Pseudoberyx syriacus, an extinct beryciform]]

Phylogeny

A recent phylogeny based on the work Betancur-Rodriguez et al. 2017. Despite these risks, most of the species that have been evaluated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are listed as Least Concern or Data Deficient; only a few are classified as Vulnerable.

Timeline of genera

The Beryciformes first appeared in the Late Cretaceous and still survive today in relative abundance.

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References