Tetraodontiformes

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Tetraodontiformes
Temporal range: Santonian–recent[1] Possible Cenomanian record
Representatives of the 10 extant Tetraodontiformes families: a
Masturus lanceolatus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Clade: Percomorpha
Order: Tetraodontiformes
L. S. Berg, 1940
Type species
Tetraodon lineatus
Families

See text.

The Tetraodontiformes (

suborder of the order Perciformes. The Tetraodontiformes are represented by 10 extant families and at least 349 species overall; most are marine and dwell in and around tropical coral reefs, but a few species are found in freshwater streams and estuaries. They have no close relatives, and descend from a line of coral
-dwelling species that emerged around 80 million years ago.

Evolution

The oldest tetraodontiforms are the extinct superfamily

Protriacanthidae. Plectocretacicus from the Cenomanian of Lebanon has also been proposed as a tetraodontiform, but this has been more recently questioned.[3]

Description

Various bizarre forms are included here, all radical departures from the streamlined body plan typical of most fishes. These forms range from nearly square or triangular (

pufferfishes) to laterally compressed (filefishes and triggerfishes). They range in size from Rudarius excelsus (a filefish), measuring just 2 cm (0.79 in) in length, to the ocean sunfish, the largest of all bony fishes at up to 3 m (9.8 ft) in length and weighing over 2 tonnes.[1]

Most members of this order – except for the family

Balistidae – are ostraciiform swimmers, meaning the body is rigid and incapable of lateral flexure. Because of this, they are slow-moving and rely on their pectoral, dorsal, anal, and caudal fins for propulsion rather than body undulation
. However, movement is usually quite precise; dorsal and anal fins aid in manoeuvring and stabilizing. In most species, all fins are simple, small, and rounded, except for the pelvic fins which, if present, are fused and buried. Again, in most members, the gill plates are covered over with skin, the only gill opening a small slit above the pectoral fin.

The tetraodontiform strategy seems to be defense at the expense of speed, with all species fortified with scales modified into strong plates or spines

Diodontidae are further protected from predation by tetrodotoxin, a powerful neurotoxin
concentrated in the animals' internal organs.

blue-spotted grouper
, Cephalopholis argus

Tetraodontiforms have highly modified skeletons, with no nasal, parietal, infraorbital, or (usually) lower rib bones. The bones of the jaw are modified and fused into a sort of "beak";[5] visible sutures divide the beaks into "teeth". This is alluded to in their name, derived from the Greek words τετρα- tetra meaning "four" and ὀδούς odous meaning "tooth" and the Latin forma meaning "shape".[4] Counting these teeth-like bones is a way of distinguishing similar families, for example, the Tetraodontidae ("four-toothed"), Triodontidae ("three-toothed"), and Diodontidae ("two-toothed").

Their jaws are aided by powerful muscles, and many species also have pharyngeal teeth to further process prey items, because the Tetraodontiformes prey mostly on hard-shelled invertebrates, such as crustaceans and shellfish.

The Molidae are conspicuous even within this oddball order; they lack swim bladders and spines, and are propelled by their very tall dorsal and anal fins. The caudal peduncle is absent and the caudal fin is reduced to a stiff rudder-like structure. Molids are pelagic rather than reef-associated and feed on soft-bodied invertebrates, especially jellyfish.

Families

Ocean sunfish
The honeycomb cowfish is part of the family Ostraciidae.
American whitespotted filefish
Cantherhines macrocerus

This cladogram of extant Tetraodontiformes is based on Santini et al., 2013.[6]

Tetraodontiformes

Triodontidae (threetooth puffer)

Aracanidae (deepwater boxfishes)

Ostraciidae (boxfishes)

Triacanthidae (triplespines)

Triacanthodidae (spikefishes)

Balistidae (triggerfishes)

Monacanthidae (filefishes)

Molidae (ocean sunfishes)

Diodontidae (porcupinefishes)

Tetraodontidae (pufferfishes)

Fossil families

Timeline of genera

QuaternaryNeogenePaleogeneCretaceousHolocenePleistocenePlioceneMioceneOligoceneEocenePaleoceneLate CretaceousEarly CretaceousAluteraKyrtogymnodonMola (fish)ChilomycterusTetraodonBalistesTrigonodonMarosichthysAracanaOligodiodonOligolactoriaOligobalistesCryptobalistesBalistomorphusAcanthopleurusTriacanthusOstracionTriodonDiodonAmansesProgymnodonZignoichthysSpinacanthusProtobalistiumProtacanthodesProdiodonProaracanaEotetraodonEoplectusEolactoriaEodiodonEospinusEotrigonodonPisdurodonIndotrigonodonKankatodusCretatriacanthusPlectocretacicusQuaternaryNeogenePaleogeneCretaceousHolocenePleistocenePlioceneMioceneOligoceneEocenePaleoceneLate CretaceousEarly Cretaceous

References