Subphyllum       Vertebrata

Superclass         Agnatha

Grade                 Pteraspidomorphi

Class                  Myxini

Order                 Myxiniformes

 

MYXINIDAE.  

(Hagfishes, 32 spp).

*Dorsal fin absent.

*Caudal fin extends onto part of dorsal surface.

*Eyes are degenerated.

*Barbels present around biting mouth.

*Teeth only on tongue, plus one on “palate”.

*No spiral valve or cilia in intestinal tract.

*Numerous mucous pores along the body.

*Ovaries and testis in the same individual but only one functional (not hermaphrodite).

*Scavemger feeders.

 

 

 

Subphyllum       Vertebrata

Superclass         Agnatha

Grade                 Pteraspidomorphi

Class              Cephalaspidomorphi

Order             Petromyzontiformes

 

petromyzontidae  

(Lampreys, ± 110 spp).

*Anadromus and freshwater; cool zones in the world.

*One or two dorsal fins are present.

*Eyes well developed in adults and barbels absent

*Teeth on oral disc and tongue.

*Spiral valve and cilia in intestine tract.

*Larva stage “ammocoete” under radical metamorphosis in fresh water.

*Lampreys have 164-168 chromosome (highest number in a vertebrate).

 

 

Subphyllum       Vertebrata

Superclass         Gnathostomata

Grade             Chondrichthiomorphi

Class                  Chondrichthyes

Subclass             Holocephali

Order                 Chimaeriformes

 

CHIMARIDAE.  

(Ratfish or shortnose chimaeras, ±20 spp).

*Marine, Atlantic and Pacific.

*Snout short and rounded.

*Tail diphycercal.

*A poison gland is associated with dorsal spine.

*Venom is painful for humans.

 


Subphyllum   Vertebrata

Superclass     Gnathostomata

Grade             Chondrichthiomorphi

Class              Chondrichthyes

Subclass         Elasmobranchii

Superorder    Euselachii

Order             Chimaeriformes

 

HETERODONTIDAE  

(Bullhead, horn or Port Jackson sharks , 8 spp).

*Marine, tropical indian and Pacific.

*Two dorsal fins with spines.

*Anal fin present.

*Five gill slits.

 

 

 

 

Subphyllum   Vertebrata

Superclass     Gnathostomata

Grade             Chondrichthiomorphi

Class              Chondrichthyes

Subclass         Elasmobranchii

Superorder    Euselachii

Order             Carcharhiniformes

 

Sphyrnidae  

(Hammerhead sharks, 9 spp).

*Marines, occasionally brackfish; all oceans.

*Lateral expansion of the head.

*Spiracle absent.

*Eyes and nasal openings farther apart than other sharks.

 

 

 

 

Subphyllum   Vertebrata

Superclass     Gnathostomata

Grade             Chondrichthiomorphi

Class              Chondrichthyes

Subclass         Elasmobranchii

Superorder    Euselachii

Order             Squaliformes

 

SQUALIDAE.  

(dogfish shark ± 71 spp).

*Marine, Atlantic, Indian and Pacific.

*Snout not produced into a flat blade and without lateral teeth or barbels.

*Five gill openings, all anterior to the pectoral fin.

Several memebers in the family are luminescent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Subphyllum   Vertebrata

Superclass     Gnathostomata

Grade             Chondrichthiomorphi

Class              Chondrichthyes

Subclass         Elasmobranchii

Superorder    Euselachii

Order             Pristiophoriformes

 

pristiophoridae

(Saw sharks , 8 spp).

*Marine, South Africa and Indo-Pacific.

*Snout  produce in a long flat blade with teeth on each side.

*Teeth unequal in size, usually alternating large and small.

*One pair of long barbels.

*No dorsal fin spine.

 

 

 

Subphyllum   Vertebrata

Superclass     Gnathostomata

Grade             Chondrichthiomorphi

Class              Chondrichthyes

Subclass         Elasmobranchii

Superorder    Euselachii

Order             Squaliformes

 

SQUATINIDAE

(Angel sharks, 11 spp).

*Marines, Atlantic and Pacific.

*Two spineless dorsal fins.

*No anla fin.

*Five gill openings.

*Mouth almost terminal.

*Nostrils terminal with barbels on anterior margin.

 

 

 

Subphyllum   Vertebrata

Superclass     Gnathostomata

Grade             Chondrichthiomorphi

Class              Chondrichthyes

Subclass         Elasmobranchii

Superorder    Euselachii

Order             Lamniformes

 

CARCHARHINIDAE.  

(Smooth dogdfishes, requiem sharks ± 91 spp).

*Marine, All oceans.

*Fifth gill opening over or behind origin of pectoral fin.

*Two subfamilies; in this jar is the subfamily Triakinae (smooth dogfishes).

*Dog fishes has teeth usuallly low with three or more cusps

 

 

 

 

Subphyllum   Vertebrata

Superclass     Gnathostomata

Grade             Chondrichthiomorphi

Class              Chondrichthyes

Subclass         Elasmobranchii

Superorder    Batidoidimorpha

Order             Rajiformes

 

TORPEDINIDAE

(Electric rays , ± 38 spp).

*Power electric organs, derived from banchial muscles in the heas region.

*Skin soft and loose.

*Eyes small to obsolete.

*Caudal fin very well developed.

*Dorsal fin 0-2

 

 

 

Subphyllum   Vertebrata

Superclass     Gnathostomata

Grade             Chondrichthiomorphi

Class              Chondrichthyes

Subclass         Elasmobranchii

Superorder    Batidoidimorpha

Order             Rajiformes

 

RHINOBATIDAE

(Guitarfishes ± 48 spp).

*Marines, Atlantic, Indian and Pacific.

*Body intermediate between sharklike and skatelike.

*Tail stout. Not definitely marked off body.

*Two distinct dorsal fins and a caudal fin.

*Denticles over body form a row on midline of back.

*Tail without spine.

 

 

 

Subphyllum   Vertebrata

Superclass     Gnathostomata

Grade             Chondrichthiomorphi

Class              Chondrichthyes

Subclass         Elasmobranchii

Superorder    Batidoidimorpha

Order             Rajiformes

 

RAJIDAE.  

(Skates, ± 190 spp).

*Marine, All oceans.

*Caudal fins reduced or absent.

*Tail extremely slender.

*Weak electric organs derived from caudal muscles.

*Dorsal fin 0-2.

*Most with prickles on skin, often with a row along midline of back..

 

 

 

Subphyllum   Vertebrata

Superclass     Gnathostomata

Grade             Chondrichthiomorphi

Class              Chondrichthyes

Subclass         Elasmobranchii

Superorder    Batidoidimorpha

Order             Rajiformes

 

 

DASYATIDAE.

(Stingrays , ± 90 spp).

*Outer anterior margin of pectoral continuous along side of head.

*No separate cephalic or subrostral fins.

*No distinct dorsal fin.

*Most species with one or more long poisonous spines on tail.

 

 

 

 

Subphyllum       Vertebrata

Superclass     Gnathostomata

Grade             Chondrichthiomorphi

Class              Chondrichthyes

Subclass         Elasmobranchii

Superorder    Batidoidimorpha

Order             Rajiformes

 

GYMNURIDAE

(Buterfly rays ± 30 spp).

*Marines, Atlantic, Indian and Pacific.

*Disc extremely broad, more than 1.5 as broad as long.

*No caudal fin.

*Tail short (distancefrom cloaca to tip much shorter than breadth of disc..

 

 

 

Subphyllum   Vertebrata

Superclass     Gnathostomata

Grade             Teleostomi

Class              Sarcopterygii

Subclass         Dipnoi

Order             Lepidosireniformes

 

PROTOPTERIDAE.  

(African Lungfishes, 4 spp).

*Freshwater, Africa..

*Six gill arches.

*Five gill clefts.

*Body moderately elongate.

*One genus.

 


Subphyllum      Vertebrata

Superclass     Gnathostomata

Grade             Teleostomi

Class              Actinopterygii

Subclass         Neopterygii

Order             Lepisosteiformes

 

LEPISOSTEIDAE.

(Gars ,  7 spp).

*Freshwater, rare marine. North, central America and Cuba.

*Body and jaws enlongate.

*Mouth with needlelike teeth.

*Abbreviated heterocercal tail.

*Heavy ganoid scales.

*Dorsal fin far back with few rays.

*No gular or interopecular.

*Swim bladder vascularized.

 

 

 

 

 

Subphyllum   Vertebrata

Superclass     Gnathostomata

Grade             Teleostomi

Class              Actinopterygii

Subclass         Chondrostei

Order             Acipenseriformes

 

POLYODONTIDAE.

(Paddlefish, 2 spp).

*Freshwater, USA and China.

*Snout paddlelike.

*Body naked except for a few scaleson caudal peduncle.

*Minute barbel on snout.

*Gill rakers long.

*Teeth minute.

*Spiracle present.

*gill cover greatly produced posteriorly.