Nelson, J.S., 1994

Osmeriformes freshwater smelts

Teleostei

Esociformes 110 M years

Nelson, J.S., 1994  | 

Marine

Fresh

Brackish

Maxilla included in gape of mouth (the toothless maxilla is excluded from the gape in Protroctes and Lovettia and almost so in Aplochiton; adipose fin present or absent; radii absent on scales; loss of basisphenoid and orbitosphenoid bones. Osmeriforms spawn in freshwater except the Argentinoidei, Osmerus eperlanus, and perhaps one or two salangids.

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

Greek, osme = bad smelling + Latin, forma = shape (Ref. 45335).

( n = 4 )
Bathylaconidae Leptochilichthyidae Osmeridae Plecoglossidae Retropinnidae Salangidae

Ref.
[ e.g. 9948 ]      

Glossary
      [ e.g. oophagy ]