#amiiformes

[alphynix]

Unique double-notched tail sets new Jurassic predatory fish apart from its relatives

In a recent study, a research team led by Martin Ebert from the Ludwig Maximilian University and Adriana López-Arbarello from the Unidad Eje

[herpsandbirds]

Bowfin (Amia calva), family Amiidae, order Amiiformes, Detroit River, MI, USA

This fish was caught as part of a scientific survey, and was released after the photo was taken.

Other names for this species include: mudfish, mud pike, dogfish, grindle, grinnel, swamp trout, and choupique.

This fish is a member of an ancient lineage that dates back to the early Triassic. (This and another species of bowfin are the only 2 members of this group that are still around).

Bowfins are capable of breathing oxygen from the air (with their swim bladder), as well as water (with their gills).

photograph via: Alpena Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office

[bestanimal]

Round 3 - Actinopterygii - Amiiformes

(Sources - 1, 2)

Order: Amiiformes

Common Name: “bowfins”

Families: 1 - Amiidae

2 living species: Ruddy Bowfin (Amia calva) (image 1) and Eyespot Bowfin (Amia ocellicauda) (image 2)

Anatomy: elongated and cylindrical body; long, undulating dorsal fin that runs from the middle of the back to the base of the tail; hard, strong, flattened skull; swim bladder can serve as a primitive lung

Diet: fish and aquatic invertebrates

Habitat/Range: throughout eastern North America, typically in slow-moving backwaters, canals, and ox-bow lakes

Evolved in: Amiiformes in the Triassic. Amia diverged from its sister genus, Cyclurus, during the Late Cretaceous.

(source)

Do you have a favorite in Amiiformes?

One or more of my favorite animals is in Amiiformes

I love at least one or more of these animals

I like at least one or more of these animals

I am neutral about all of these animals

I dislike all of these animals

Voting ended onJun 18, 2025

Propaganda under the cut:

Ruddy Bowfins (Amia calva) are stalking, ambush predators known to move into the shallows at night to prey on fish and aquatic invertebrates such as crayfish, mollusks, and aquatic insects. Their undulating dorsal fin propels them silently through the water while stalking their prey. Their attack is straightforward and swift with a movement that lasts approximately 0.075 seconds.

In 1916, a female Ruddy Bowfin lived for twenty months without food. It was the longest period that any vertebrate had been without food, known at the time.

The Eyespot Bowfin (Amia ocellicauda) was only discovered to be a separate species from Amia calva in 2022, after genetic research revealed them to be separate species. Genetics aside, the Eyespot Bowfin has fewer dentary teeth (only 15 compared to the 16 or 17 of A. calva) and its interopercle membrane bone is smaller. It also has a more pronounced eyespot, a longer body, a less red hue, and males have green coloration during the breeding season (leading to their other common name, Emerald Bowfin).

Male bowfins will create a spawning bed in a patch of vegetation, and will wait there to court a female. After mating, the male will guard the nest.

In Louisiana, bowfin are harvested in the wild, and cultured commercially in hatcheries for their meat and roe (eggs). The roe is processed into caviar, and sold as "Cajun caviar", or marketed under the trade name "Choupiquet Royale", as an affordable alternative to the caviar of endangered sturgeons.

In areas with elevated levels of toxins, such as mercury, arsenic, chromium, and copper, bowfin may be dangerous to consume. Concentration of mercury biomagnifies as it passes up the food chain from organisms on lower trophic levels to apex predators. It bioaccumulates in the tissues of larger, long-lived predatory fish. When compared to smaller, short-lived fish, bowfin tend to concentrate mercury at higher levels, making them less safe for human consumption.

It is hypothesized that there are still several more species of Amia to be described.

[taxonomytournament]

Taxonomy Tournament: Fish

Lepisosteiformes. This order is made up of the gar, a relatively large and elongated fish whose swim bladder can funciton as lungs.

Amiiformes. This order is made up of the bowfins, also known as mudfish, ambush predators that are cabale of breathing air as well as water.

Which clade of animals is better?

Lepisosteiformes

Amiiformes

Show results

Voting ended onFeb 15, 2024

[that-crazy-scorpio-man]

Saw this unique-looking fish at the refuge.  Never seen a freshwater fish with such vibrant fins.