#zeiformes

[bestanimal]

Round 3 - Actinopterygii - Zeiformes

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Order: Zeiformes

Common Name: no common name for the collective order; could be called “dories and allies”

Families: 6 - Cyttidae (“lookdown dories”), Grammicolepididae (“tinselfishes”), Oreosomatidae (“oreos”), Parazenidae (“parazens”), Zeidae (“dories”), and Zeniontidae (zeniontids)

Anatomy: deep, laterally compressed body; large mouth with distensible jaws; many have tall, spined dorsal fin

Diet: zooplankton, crustaceans, smaller fish, and cephalopods

Habitat: marine habitats worldwide, most are demersal, ranging from 10 metres (33 ft) down to 1,600 m (ft) deep

Evolved in: Late Cretaceous

(source)

Do you have a favorite in Zeiformes?

One or more of my favorite animals is in Zeiformes

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 onJul 16, 2025

Propaganda under the cut:

The smallest zeiform is the Dwarf Dory (Macrurocyttus acanthopodus) (image 3), at 43 millimetres (1.7 in) in length.

The Warty Oreo (Allocyttus verrucosus) has a life expectancy of up to 210 years, making it one of the longest living vertebrates on Earth.

The largest zeiform is the Cape Dory (Zeus capensis) which can reach up to 90 cm (3 ft) in total length.

Many deep-sea zeiforms have a shiny, mirror-like quality to their scale-less skin, caused by guanine crystals. This helps with camouflage in the deep sea, where any light would bounce off of them.

Dories (family Zeidae) are common food fish, sometimes considered one of the most versatile, best-tasting fish. However, dories are demersal (sea floor living) species, so they are caught primarily by deep-sea trawling, a form of fishing that involves millions of tons of unnecessary bycatch, making consuming dories largely unsustainable.

[taxonomytournament]

Taxonomy Tournament: Fish

Lampriformes. This order is made up of opahs (also known as moonfish or sunfish) and their relatives, such as oarfish, crestfishes, and ribbonfishes

Zeiformes. This order is made up of mainly deep-sea fishes, including dories.

Which clade of animals is better?

Lampriformes

Zeiformes

Show results

Voting ended onJan 28, 2024

[astronomy-to-zoology]

Thorny Tinselfish (Grammicolepis brachiusculus)

...a species of deep sea tinselfish that is found in waters worldwide. Thorny tinselfish typically are found in waters around 900-3,000 feet deep and are benthopelagic. Not much else is known about their biology/ecology.

Phylogeny

Animalia-Chordata-Actinopterygii-Zeiformes-Grammicolepididae-Grammicolepis-G.brachiusculus

Images:  NOAA and JAMARC

[astronomy-to-zoology]

Mirror Dory (Zenopsis nebulosa)

Also known as the Deepsea Dory or Trawl Dory, the mirror dory is a species of dory that is distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific. Mirror dories occur in deep waters around the continental shelf and swim close to the sea floor. This causes them to get caught by trawlers alot and they are commonly used as a food fish. Like other members of Zeidae Z.nebulosa is a predator and will feed on active schooling fish.

Phylogeny

Animalia-Chordata-Actinopterygii-Zeiformes-Zeidae-Zenopsis-Z.nebulosa

Image: Robin MchPhee & Mark McGrouther