Atheriniformes

In the order Ateriform, there are about 300 species of small fish (usually no more than 15 cm in length) inhabiting coastal seas, brackish and fresh water bodies mainly in the tropics and subtropics.

Melanothenia neon (Melanotaenia praecox)

Representatives of most species of atherin-like are small, elongated, silvery body. Usually, atherine-like fish have two fins on their backs, between which there is a visible gap. One of the fins appears only at the late stage of larval development; it consists of flexible and weak "rays". 1st dorsal fin with 3-9 flexible unbranched rays, anal with one of the same ray and other ramified, 2nd dorsal like anal, with 1-2 unbranched rays. The pelvic fins can be displaced forward, but there is usually a gap between them and the pectorals. Scalescycloid, less often ctenoid, present on top of the head and on the sides, or absent both on the head and on the adjacent part of the body. The swim bladder is closed. The belly is rounded. The head is not blunt, pointed. The mouth of the atherine is relatively small, passing to the sides.

Western European atherina (Atherina presbyter)

The nasal openings are paired athero-like, there is no lateral line on the body, or it is and is a series of channels with scales or from pits. The teeth are usually small, on the jaws, sometimes on the palatine and on the vomer, as a rule, they do not sit in deep holes. There are more than 30 vertebrae (33-56).

Representatives of the suborder atherine have a silvery or black stripe on the body (in most species), the fins are in the abdominal position. Eggs have long filaments on the shell, which attach them to the substrate.

Ateriform fish can be found all over the world, both in fresh waters and in the seas - temperate and tropical, near the shores. Aterioids originated from the tropical Indo-Pacific, which is near the Indo-Malay archipelago. Several types of atherins live in the Black, Azov and Caspian Seas.

Red-tailed bedotia (Bedotia geayi)

Ateriniform eat both vegetation and living organisms, mainly feeding in the water mass and not sinking to the bottom for this. If the Ateriniformes is hungry, it can chew on plant leaves and algae.

Some atherine-like fish have gained popularity as aquarium fish: for example, the so-called iris. The reason for this is their peaceful disposition. They are of little commercial value and serve as food for large fish. One genus lives in the Black Sea. Many atherinkas are an object of fishing. Aquariums contain only seven species of this family.

Pseudomugil gertrudae

Taxonomy of the suborder Ateriform fishes

• Suborder / Suborder: Atherinoidei = Atherinoid

  • Family: Atherinidae = Aterinidae

    • Subfamily: Atherininae =

      • Genus: Atherina Linnaeus, 1758 = Aterins

        • Species: Atherina boyeri Risso, 1826 = Common Atherina

          Subspecies: Atherina boyeri caspia Eichwald = Caspian atherina

        • Species: Atherina hepsetus Linnaeus, 1758 = Atlantic Atherina
        • Species: Atherina presbyter Cuvier, 1829 = Western European atherina
    • Subfamily: Atherinomorinae =
    • Subfamily: Bleheratherininae =
    • Subfamily: Craterocephalinae =
  • Family: Atherionidae =

  • Family: Bedotiidae = Bedotids

    • Genus: Bedotia = Bedotia

      Species: Bedotia geayi = Red-tailed Bedotia

  • Family: Dentatherinidae =
  • Family: Isonidae =
  • Family: Melanotaeniidae Gill, 1894 = Melanothenic
  • Family: Notocheiridae Clark = Izovye
  • Family: Phallostethidae = Phallostethidae
  • Family: Pseudomugilidae =

  • Family: Telmatherinidae = Telmatherinidae

    • Genus: Telmatherina Boulenger, 1897 = Telmatherine

      Species: Telmatherina ladigesi = Fish-sunbeam, sunbeam

• Suborder / Suborder: Atherinopsoidei = Ateriniform

  Family: Atherinopsidae =

Literature:

1. N. P. Naumov, N. N. Kartashev. Zoology of vertebrates. Inferior chordates, jawless, fish, amphibians. Moscow "Higher School", 1979

2. N. Svetovidov. Fish of the Black Sea. Moscow-Leningrad, 1965

3. Aquarium fishing. N. M. Ilyin