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Order Summary for Mugiliformes
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Main Ref |
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Order |
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Mugiliformes mullets |
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Class |
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Teleostei |
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Sister Order |
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Atheriniformes 45 M years |
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Ref. |
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First Fossil Record |
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middle Tertiary |
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Occurs in |
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Marine |
Fresh |
Brackish |
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Remark |
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Distribution: All tropical and temperate seas. Chiefly marine (coastal) and brackish water; some in freshwater (Liza abu only in fresh and estuaries).
Short description: Spinous (4 spines) and soft dorsal fins widely separated. Pelvic fins subabdominal; 1 spine, 5 soft rays. Lateral line hardly visible when present. Mouth of moderate size. Toothless or teeth small. Long gill rakers. Muscular stomach; extremely long intestine. Vertebrae 24-26. Maximum length about 90 cm. Travel in schools and feed on fine algae, diatoms, and detritus of bottom sediments. Important food fishes.
Taxonomy: Mugiliformes have been considered as a separate order like here, or as a Perciformes suborder, and most part of the time close to Atherinidae(formes). They are either considered at the base of Acanthopterygii or Percomorpha. The consensus is to consider that they are close to Atherinids, Gasterosteids, Synbranchids, Elassomatids in an unresolved polychotomy. See FoW (Nelson, 2006; Ref. 58010) for more details. |
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Class etymology |
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Order etymology |
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Latin, mugil, -ilis = grey mullet |
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Families |
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( n = 1 ) Mugilidae |
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