Syngnathoidei is a large, diverse suborder of syngnathiform fish. It contains the "long-snouted" members of the order, and its monophyly has been affirmed by phylogenetic studies. The order contains pipefish, seahorses, trumpetfish, cornetfish, shrimpfish, and snipefish. They are found in tropical, subtropical and temperate seas, especially in coastal waters around rock and coral reefs and among sea weed and sea grass beds. However, there are also pelagic species of pipefish and even freshwater species.
This appears to be an ancient suborder, with fossil remains known as early as the Late Cretaceous period.
Taxonomy
The suborder is classified as follows, with familial divisions based on Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes:
Fossil taxa
The following fossil taxa are placed in this order:
- Suborder Syngnathoidei
- Genus â Gasterorhamphosus <small>Sorbini, 1981</small> - Late Cretaceous of Italy (potentially an aulostomoid)
- Family â Eekaulostomidae <small>Cantalice & Alvarado-Ortega, 2016</small> - Early Paleocene of Mexico (potentially an aulostomoid)
- Superfamily Aulostomoidea
- Genus â Aulostomoides <small>Blot, 1980</small>
- Family â Fistularioididae <small>Blot, 1981</small> - Early Eocene of Italy (likely synonymous with Fistulariidae)
- Family â Parasynarcualidae <small>Blot, 1981</small> (likely synonymous with Fistulariidae)
- Family â Urosphenidae <small>Gill, 1884</small> - Early Eocene of Italy
- Superfamily Centriscoidea
- Family â Gerpegezhidae <small>Bannikov & Carnevale, 2012</small> - Early Eocene of North Caucasus, Russia
- Superfamily Syngnathoidea
- Family â Protosyngnathidae <small>Boulenger, 1902</small> - Early-mid Eocene of Sumatra, Indonesia
References