Alexander Lauzon
WFB 232
Siluriformes
Greek: “Siluri”-derived no meaning dead word, -formes- “fish shape”
Superclass – Gnathostomata- Jawed Fish
Class – Actinopterygii- Ray-finned fishes
Order- Siluriformes
33 families, 436 genera
Description: Small eyes, spines at the front of the dorsal and pectoral fins both soft ray
after the spine, soft ray pelvic and anal fins, maxilla contains no teeth,
vomer has teeth, adipose fin behind the dorsal fin, an average of four
sensing barbels on the head (one on the nasal region, another on maxillary
and two on the chin) of this fish, the scale pattern can be either naked, or
the fish is covered with varying degrees of bony plates, with the fish in
this order being robust enough to stay out of water for longer periods than
other fish.
Taxomony:
Habitat: The fish in this order can survive in freshwater, brackish water, and salt water.
The fish in this order seem to have no preference when it comes to water clarity, speed,
dissolved oxygen, and many species makes their home in a wide variety of environments.
Distribution These fish can be found on every continent except for the polar ice caps the
Arctic and the Antarctic. They can be found in lakes, streams, ponds, and the ocean.
Ecology and life history: Standard egg, larval, and adult stages with the parents of most
species providing pre and post-natal care. These fish consume a wide
variety of food and are omnivorous. The behavior of the fish in this order
ranges from schooling to predatory, with some species being solely
scavengers and even a species that is parasitic. Many species in this order
are nocturnal and conduct their agenda at night. The average length of a
catfish is 5-20 cm with the smallest being less than 10mm in length and
the biggest being over 5 meters.
Additional details: This order is one of the most diverse and common fish orders out
there. 1 in 20 vertebrates is a catfish and this order is home to ¼ of all of the worlds fresh
water fish. Since these fish are so common they are farmed and fished as a food source
everywhere in the world, and can be prepared in a variety of dishes. Their heartiness and
adaptability is what makes them so common. Some unique adaptations that has
contributed to this are, some species can breathe out of water, survive in poor water
quality, produce an electric shock, and can even walk across land.
Alexander Lauzon
WFB 232
References used:
Lundberg, John G. and John P. Friel. 2003. Siluriformes. Catfishes. Version 20 January
2003 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Siluriformes/15065/2003.01.20 in The Tree
of Life Web Project,http://tolweb.org/ Date accessed: 02/04/2013
Nelson, J.S., 1994 Siluriformes, Fish Base.org,
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/OrdersSummary.php?order=Siluriformes Date
accessed 02/04/2013