Taxonomy of Fishes
Taxonomy of Fishes
Lecture presented during the Fisheries Review
for Fisheries Technologist Board Examination
Tersa Regalado-Castillo
Faculty, College of Fisheries
Mindanao State University, Fatima
General Santos City
Definition of Terms
• Taxonomy
> Science of identification and
classification
• Identification
> Association of specimen with the
known facts
• Classification
> Grouping of like things into a system
Taxonomy…
Exercise on classification…
Levels Man Fish
Kingdom Animalia Animalia
Phylum Chordata Chordata
Class
Order
Family Homonidae
Genus Homo
Species sapiens
Taxonomy of Fishes
7 Levels or Hierarchy of Classification
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Taxonomy…
Classification of Fishes
Three classes of fish
1. Class Agnatha
2. Class Chondricthyes
3. Class Osteichthyes
Taxonomy…
Class Agnatha – Jawless Fishes
Representatives:
Family Petromyzontidae
Family Myxinidae
Taxonomy…
Class Chondrichthyes – Cartilaginous fishes
Representatives sharks
skates
rays
chimaeras
Taxonomy…
Class Osteichthyes – Bony fishes
Representatives pelagic fishes
benthic fishes
reef fishes
Scientific Names
Binomial Nomenclature
Composed of genus name and species
name
• Genus
The first word of the two words of the
scientific name
This is a group of closely related
species in a particular family
Scientific Names…
Species
• Also known as specific name
• It is a group of individuals that can
interbreed with each other , but not with
other organisms
Scientific Names…
Example of Sc. Name
• Acanthurus lineatus – bluelined surgeon
fish
• The word lineatus refers to the
characteristic horizontal lines on this
species of surgeon fish
Scientific Names…
• The scientific name is always shown in
italics, but if handwritten, the name should
be underlined
• The Genus always starts with an upper
case letter
• The species always starts with a lower case
letter
Scientific Name…
Example :
• Siganus spinus Siganus guttatus
• (Spiny rabbitfish) (Gold saddle rabbitfish)
• The common name may vary in different regions
of the country but the scientific name is always
the same
Scientific Family of Fishes
• Each species belongs to a family. The
scientific family always ends in “idea”
Example:
• Siganidae Rabbitfish family
• Acanthuridae Surgeonfish family
• Serranidae Grouper family
Twenty most speciose families of
reef fishes
Family Common representative
Gobiidae gobies
Labridae wrasses
Pomacentridae damselfishes
Serranidae fairy basslets&groupers
Blennidae blennies
Apogonidae cardinalfishes
Twenty…
Family Common representative
Muraenidae moray eels
Chaetodontidae butterfly fishes
Acanthuridae surgeon fishes
Syngnathidae pipefishes
Scaridae parrotfishes
Scorpaenidae scorpionfishes
Twenty…
Family Common representative
Carangidae jacks
Lutjanidae snappers
Holocentridae soldierfishes/
squirrel fishes
Pomacanthidae angelfishes
Twenty…
Family Common representative
Ophichthiidae snake eels
Lethrinidae emperors
Microdesmidae wormfishes/dartfishes
Balistidae Triggerfishes
HOW TO IDENTIFY FISHES
• What is the overall shape of the fish
• How many dorsal fins are there
• What shape is the tail or caudal fin
• Where does the mouth lie on the head
HOW TO IDENTIFY FISHES
• Are there any other outstanding features
such as horns or large eyes
• What is the color of the fish
• What is the behavior of the fish
• What type of habitat is the fish in
Body Shape
• Extremely long and thin (moray eel)
• Long (halfbeak and needlefish)
• Moderately long (grouper)
• Deep-bodied and stout (triggerfish)
• Deep-bodied and thin (angelfish)
• Flatfish (sole)
• Disc or kite-shaped (stingray)
Dorsal Fin
• Single continuous fin (snapper, bream)
• Single notched fin ( sand bass)
• Two fins (mullet, tuna)
• Long trailing filament ( moorish idol)
• Large and sail-like (batfish)
Caudal fin
• Lunate - with long trailing upper and lower tail lobes
( surgeon fish)
• Forked -V-shaped with pointed tail lobes (fusilier, caesio)
• Emarginate -slightly V-shaped with rounded tail lobes ( cardinal
fish)
• Truncate - square with no distinct upper and lower tail lobes,
blunt (sweetlips)
• Round - rounded with nom distinct lower and upper tail lobes,
blunt (wrasse)
• Lanceolate - arrow-shaped, pointed tip in the center ( goby)
• Scutes or keels - a line of projections starting at the base of the
tail to reinforce it ( caranx)
• Finlets - tiny flaps behind the 2nd dorsal fin and anal fin to help
fishes swim faster ( tuna)
• Spines on tail base - for defense or attack ( surgeonfish)
Mouth Position
Oblique - the mouth points upward
Underneath – the mouth lies on the underside of the head
Terminal - the mouth is at the end of the snout
Protruding lower jaw – the lower jaw sticks out
Small mouth
Large mouth
Beak-like mouth – the teeth are fused together to form
plates
Barbels on chin – fleshy, tentacle-like sense organs
hanging from the chin
Protrusible mouth – the mouth is able to extend outwards
Common Freshwater Species
Oreochromis niloticus Nile tilapia
Oreochromis mossambicus
Mossambique
tilapia
Tilapia aurea tilapia
Tilapia zilli Zill’s tilapia
Tilapia hornorum tilapia
Common Freshwater Species
Cyprinus carpio common carp
Ctenopharhyngodon idella grass carp
Aristichthys nobilis bighead carp
Clarias batrachus Thai catfish
Clarias macrocephalus native catfish
Clarias gariepinus African
catfish
Channa striata mudfish
Mistichthys luzonensis sinarapan
Common Aquaculture Potential Species
Epinephelus tauvina estuary rock cod
Chanos chanos milkfish
Lates calcarifer sea bass
Siganus guttatus rabbitfish
Siganus canaliculatus rabbitfish
Scatophagus argus kitong, kikiro
Pangasius hypopthalmus cream dory
Pangasius bocourti cream dory
Common Marine Species
Thunnus albacares yellow fin tuna
Katsuwonus pelamis skip jack
Xiphias gladius swordtail
Istiophorus gladius sailfish
Coryphaena hippurus dolphinfish
Makaira mazora blue marlin
Decapterus spp. Round scad
Selar spp. Big-eyed scad
