Tetraodontiformes

Order Tetraodontiformes
Modern Fishes
Tetraodontiformes
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Tetraodontiformes
• The most derived of all bony fishes
o The most notable modification is the
reduction of the internal skeleton
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Tetraodontiformes
• The most derived of all bony fishes
o The most notable modification is the
reduction of the internal skeleton
• Gill openings are usually
small
• Pelvic fins are absent
• Body plan ranges from
globular, triangular to
extremely compressed
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Tetraodontiform Protection
• How to they protect themselves?
Burrfish
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Tetraodontiform Taxonomy
• Monocanthidae &
Balistidae
o Leatherjackets
• Molidae
o Molas
 Filefish & Triggerfish
• Ostraciidae
o Boxfishes
• Tetraodontidae
o Puffers
• Diodontidae
o Porcupinefish
Tetraodontiformes
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Families Balistidae &
Monocanthidae
• Triggerfish
• Family Balistidae
o Gray Triggerfish (Balistes
capriscus)
o Humuhumu nukunuku apua’a
o Hawaiian Triggerfish
(Rhinecanthus rectangulus)
• Filefish
• Family Monocanthidae
o Planehead Filefish
(Stephanolepis hispidus)
Tetraodontiformes
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Habits
• Balistiform swimming
• Dewlap
o a pelvic apparatus
which is slightly
distensible
• Spines
Tetraodontiformes
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Triggerfish
• Has 3 dorsal spines,
compared to 2 of the
filefish
Trigger
Mechanism
Tetraodontiformes
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Triggerfish
Tetraodontiformes
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Filefish
Tetraodontiformes
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Family Ostraciidae
• Boxfishes
• Common species:
o Scrawled Cowfish
o Lactophrys quadricornis
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Ostraciidae Characteristics
• Body is enclosed in
a bony carapace
• Spinous dorsal
absent
o Some species
secrete ostracitoxin
Scrawled Cowfish
Tetraodontiformes
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Family Tetraodontidae
• Puffers
• Common species:
o Northern Puffer (Sphoeroides maculatus)
Tetraodontiformes
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Tetraodontidae Characteristics
• Have strong beak-like jaws with four teeth
• Slow moving fishes that rely on toxins and the
ability to puff themselves up for protection
Tetraodontiformes
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Tetrodotoxin
• Tetrodotoxin found in
the internal organs
o Can be fatal to
humans
o Eaten in Japan and
prepared by licensed
cooks
Tetraodontiformes
• Symptoms
o Slight numbness of the
lips and tongue
o Increased paralysis,
unable to move,
respiratory distress,
affected speech
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Family Diodontidae
• Porcupinefish
• Common species:
o Striped Burrfish (Chilomycterus schoepfi)
Tetraodontiformes
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Diodontidae Characteristics
• Have two fused teeth
in the mouth
o Family with inflatable
body
o Body covered in well
developed sharp
spines (some erect
when body inflated)
Tetraodontiformes
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Family Molidae
• Molas / Sunfish
• Common species:
o Ocean Sunfish (Mola mola)
Tetraodontiformes
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Molidae Characteristics
• Large, sluggish pelagic
predators that feed on
jellyfish and other
invertebrates
• Considered to be the
most fecund vertebrates
in the world
• > 300 million eggs!!
Tetraodontiformes
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