Order Summary for Osmeriformes

  Main Ref
:
  Order
:
Osmeriformes smelts
  Class
:
Actinopterygii
  Sister Order
:
Esociformes 110 M years
  Ref..
:
  First Fossil Record
:
  Occurs in
:
Marine
Fresh
Brackish
  Remark
:
Maxilla included in gape of mouth (the toothless maxilla is excluded from the gape in Protroctes and Lovettia and almost so in Aplochiton; adipose fin present or absent; radii absent on scales; loss of basisphenoid and orbitosphenoid bones. Osmeriforms spawn in freshwater except the Argentinoidei, Osmerus eperlanus, and perhaps one or two salangids.
  Classetymology
:
Greek aktis = ray, thunderbolt, beam + Greek pterygion, diminutive of pteryx = wing, fin. Ref. 45335.
  Orderetymology
:
Greek, osme = bad smelling + Latin, forma = shape (Ref. 45335).
  Families
:

Ref.
[ e.g. 9948]                       
Glossary
                    [ e.g. cephalopods]

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