English: Grinners, Lizardfishes and allies; Aulopiforms.
Name: means Aulopus-shaped, from Ancient Greek aulós, meaning flute or pipe.
Genera: 45; 230 species; 15 families.
Synonym: Macristiidae; Cyclosquamata; Stenopterygii.
ZoologyHabitat: marine; deep-sea; most are pelagic, some are benthic.
Ray-finned fish; they have a mixture of advanced and primitive characteristics of teleost fish; their gas bladder is vestigial or lacking; hypaxialis muscle that is unusually extended to forward at its upper end and attaches to the neurocranium below the spine and the position of the maxillary bone; their second pharyngobranchial is greatly elongated posterolaterally away from third pharyngobranchial, which lacks a cartilaginous condyle to articulate with the preceding, but is contacted by the elongated uncinate process of the second epibranchial.
Gill: arches. Indeed, many authors have considered them so distinct as to
Fins: pelvic fins far back on the body; medial fused, processes of pelvic girdle; an adipose fin, typical for the
Protacanthopterygii.
Reproduction: hermaphrodites, some with the ability to self-fertilise; some larvae are extremely bizarre-looking, with elongated fins, sometimes described as distinct species or genera in a family Macristiidae.
TaxonomyAulopiformes are closely related to some
Protacanthopterygii, sometimes included in that superorder. They might be the sister of the
Salmoniformes.
FamiliesSuborder Alepisauroidei
• Alepisauridae: Lancetfishes; Alepisaurus, Anotopterus, Omosudis
• Anotopteridae: Daggertooths; Anotopterus.
• Evermannellidae: Sabertooth fishes; Coccorella, Evermannella, Odontostomops.
• Omosudidae: Hammerjaw; Omosudis.
• Paralepididae: Barracudinas; Anotopterus, Arctozenus, Dolichosudis, Lestidiops, Lestidium, Lestrolepis, Macroparalepis, Maculisudis, Magnisudis, Notolepis, Paralepis, Stemonosudis, Sudis, Uncisudis.
• Scopelarchidae: Pearleyes; Benthalbella, Lagiacrusichthys, Rosenblattichthys, Scopelarchoides, Scopelarchus.
Suborder Chlorophthalmoidei
• Bathysauroididae: Pale deepsea lizardfish; Bathysauroides.
• Bathysauropsidae: Lizard greeneyes; Bathysauropsis.
• Chlorophthalmidae: Greeneyes; Chlorophthalmus, Parasudis.
• Ipnopidae: Deepsea Tripodfishes; Bathymicrops, Bathypterois, Bathytyphlops, Discoverichthys, Ipnops.
• Notosudidae: Waryfishes; Ahliesaurus, Luciosudis, Scopelosaurus.
Suborder Enchodontoidei
Suborder Giganturoidei
• Bathysauridae: Deepwater lizardfishes; Bathysaurus.
• Giganturidae: Telescopefishes; Gigantura.
Suborder Synodontoidei
• Aulopidae: Flagfins; Aulopus, Hime, Latropiscis, Leptaulopus.
• Paraulopidae: Cucumberfishes; Paraulopus.
• Pseudotrichonotidae: Sandliving lizardfishes, Sand-diving lizardfishes; Pseudotrichonotus.
• Synodontidae: Typical lizardfishes; Harpadon, Saurida, Synodus, Trachinocephalus
Alepisauridae: