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Order Summary for Saccopharyngiformes
Main Ref.:	Nelson, J.S., 1994
Order:	Saccopharyngiformes    swallowers and gulpers
Class:	Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Sister Order:	Anguilliformes     85 M years
Ref.:	Forey, P., D. Littlewood, P. Ritchie and A. Meyer, 1996     Carroll, R., 1988
First fossil record:	middle Cretaceous
Occurs in:	Marine      Freshwater      Brackish
Remarks:	Highly aberrant fishes, lacking symplectic bone, opercular bones, branchiostegal rays, scales, pelvic fins, ribs, pyloric caeca, and swim bladder; caudal fin absent or rudimentary; gill openings ventral; dorsal and anal fins long; jaws and hyomandibular greatly elongate, attached to neurocranium by only one condyle; leptocephalous larvae deep-bodied with myomeres V-shaped and not W-shaped. Like anguilliforms, they may spawn once and die.
Class etymology:	Greek aktis = ray, thunderbolt, beam + Greek pterygion, diminutive of pteryx = wing, fin. Ref. 45335.
Order etymology:	Latin, saccus = sack + Greek, pharyngx = pharynx + Greek, morphe = shape. Ref. 45335.
Families:	4 Cyematidae , Eurypharyngidae , Monognathidae , Saccopharyngidae

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Ref.:   ( e.g. 9948)
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Page created by: Eli, 17.10.00, last modified by Eli, 15.02.05.