Nelson, J.S., 1994

Zeiformes dories

Teleostei

Gasterosteiformes 15 M years

Carroll, R., 1988  |  Helfman, G., B. Collette and D. Facey, 1997

late Tertiary

Marine

Fresh

Brackish

Pelvic fin with or without a spine and 5-10 soft rays; caudal fin usually with 11 branched rays (13 in grammicolepidids); dorsal fin spines 5-10; anal fin spines 0-4; soft rays of dorsal, anal, and pectoral fins not branched; body usually thin and deep; jaws usually greatly distensible; no orbitosphenoid; simple posttemporal fused to skull; swim bladder present; branchiostegal rays 5-8; vertebrae 21-46. Caproids have the lowest number of vertebrae and grammicolepidids the highest. All species are marine, most are deep sea.

Greek aktis = ray, thunderbolt, beam + Greek pterygion, diminutive of pteryx = wing, fin. Ref. 45335.

Greek, Zeus = the supreme deity of the ancients Greeks, 1839 + Latin, forma = shape (Ref. 45335).

( n = 6 )
Cyttidae Grammicolepididae Oreosomatidae Parazenidae Zeidae Zenionidae Zeniontidae

Ref.
[ e.g. 9948 ]      

Glossary
      [ e.g. oophagy ]