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Ray-finned Fishes of Zihuatanejo

CLASS ACTINOPTERYGII

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

-Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

-Ray-finned Fishes (Class Actinopterygii)

-Herrings (Order Clupeiformes)

-Suborder Clupeoidei


Herrings (suborder Clupeoidei) are a group of small to medium-sized, soft-rayed fishes that occur in marine, brackish, and freshwater environments worldwide, especially in coastal waters and continental shelves. They typically have a laterally compressed, streamlined body covered with thin, easily shed cycloid scales, and a distinctly silvery coloration that reflects light and helps camouflage them in open water. Clupeoids possess a single dorsal fin, a forked tail, and a relatively small head with a terminal mouth adapted for feeding on plankton, including phytoplankton and small zooplankton. Many species are efficient filter feeders, using fine gill rakers to strain food from the water. Herrings are highly gregarious, forming large, coordinated schools that provide protection from predators and enable synchronized spawning migrations.

Diet

  • Clupeoidei includes mostly planktivorous and filter-feeding fishes. Many species feed on zooplankton, phytoplankton and other small suspended organisms, while some larger species also take small fishes and crustaceans.

Range

  • Clupeoidei is a major suborder of the order Clupeiformes and includes herrings, sardines, anchovies and related fishes. It has a worldwide distribution in marine and freshwater environments, with most species occurring in coastal or open marine waters.

  • The eastern Pacific, including the Pacific coast of Mexico and the Zihuatanejo region, supports several clupeoid fishes, particularly anchovies and sardines.

Habitat

  • Species occupy a wide range of habitats, from coastal bays, estuaries and shallow nearshore waters to offshore pelagic environments. Some members enter freshwater or spend much of their lives in rivers and lakes.

  • Many marine species form large schools, often in productive coastal waters where plankton is abundant.

Description

  • Clupeoidei comprises generally small to medium-sized, streamlined fishes, although body form varies considerably among the constituent families. Most have a single dorsal fin without spines, a forked caudal fin and no spiny rays in the fins.

  • The body is usually fusiform or laterally compressed and often has a series of hardened scutes along the belly. The scales are generally thin and easily shed, and the lateral-line system is greatly reduced compared with many other fishes.

Herrings

Clupeoidei (Suborder )

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