Scorpaeniformes

Taxobox
name = Scorpaeniformes

---

image_caption = Scorpaenidae: Devil Firefish, "Pterois volitans"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Scorpaeniformes
subdivision_ranks = Suborders
subdivision =
Anoplopomatoidei
Cottoidei
Dactylopteroidei
Hexagrammoidei
Normanichthyiodei
Platycephaloidei
Scorpaenoidei See text for families

Scorpaeniformes is an order of ray-finned fish, but it has also been called the Scleroparei. Species in this order have recently been reclassified into the Perciformes.

They are known as "mail-cheeked" fishes due to their distinguishing characteristic, the suborbital stay: a backwards extension of the third circumorbital bone (part of the lateral head/cheek skeleton, below the eye socket) across the cheek to the preoperculum, to which it is connected in most species.

Classification

The division of Scorpaeniformes into families is not settled; accounts range from 26 families [cite book | author = Joseph S. Nelson | title = Fishes of the World | publisher = John Wiley & Sons | id = ISBN 0-471-54713-1] [ITIS | ID = 166702 | taxon = Scorpaeniformes | date = 31 March | year = 2006] to 35 families [cite book | title = Catalog of Fishes | author = William N. Eschmeyer, Carl J. Ferraris, Mysi D. Hoang, Douglas J. Long | publisher = California Academy of Sciences | year = 1998 | id = ISBN 0-940228-47-5] [FishBase order | order = Scorpaeniformes | month = February | year = 2006] .

* Suborder Anoplopomatoidei
** Anoplopomatidae (sablefish and skilfish)
* Suborder Cottoidei
** Superfamily Cottoidea
*** Abyssocottidae (deep-water sculpins)
*** Agonidae (poachers)
*** Bathylutichthyidae
*** Comephoridae (Baikal oilfishes)
*** Cottidae (sculpins)
*** Cottocomephoridae (Baikal sculpins)
*** Ereuniidae
*** Hemitripteridae (sea ravens and sailfin sculpins)
*** Icelidae (scaled sculpins) [Icelidae is described as a separate family by some sources [http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/classification/Icelidae.html#Icelidae] , containing only the genus "Icelus". However, this genus which is considered to be a member of Cottidae by most other sources [http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=167186] ]
*** Psychrolutidae (fatheads)
*** Rhamphocottidae (grunt sculpin)
** Superfamily Cyclopteroidea
*** Cyclopteridae (lumpsuckers)
*** Liparidae (snailfishes)
* Suborder Dactylopteroidei
** Dactylopteridae (flying gurnards)
* Suborder Hexagrammoidei
** Hexagrammidae (greenlings)
* Suborder Normanichthyiodei
** Normanichthyidae
* Suborder Platycephaloidei
** Bembridae (deepwater flatheads)
** Hoplichthyidae (ghost flatheads)
** Parabembridae [Parabembridae is included in Bembridae in ITIS and Nelson, but split in FishBase and Eschmeyer.]
** Platycephalidae (flatheads)
* Suborder Scorpaenoidei
** ApistidaeApistidae, Neosebastidae, Plectrogenidae, Sebastidae, and Setarchidae are included in Scorpaenidae in ITIS and Nelson, but split in FishBase and Eschmeyer.]
** Aploactinidae (velvetfishes)
** Caracanthidae (orbicular velvetfishes)
** Congiopodidae (horsefishes and pigfishes)
** Eschmeyeridae
** Gnathanacanthidae (red velvetfish)
** Neosebastidae
** Pataecidae (Australian prowfishes)
** Peristediidae [Peristediidae is included in Triglidae in ITIS and Nelson, but split in FishBase and Eschmeyer.]
** Plectrogenidae
** Scorpaenidae (scorpionfishes and rockfishes)
** Sebastidae
** Setarchidae
** Synanceiidae (stonefishes)
** Tetrarogidae (waspfishes)
** Triglidae (searobins)

Notes and references