Gasterosteoidei is a suborder of ray-finned fishes that includes the sticklebacks and relatives. It is currently classified in the order Scorpaeniformes.

Systematics

Gasterosteoidei is treated as a suborder within the order Scorpaeniformes in the 5th edition of Fishes of the World, but in other classifications it is treated as the infraorder Gasterosteales.

Historically, Gasterosteoidei was called the Gasterosteiformes. Recent studies show that the more typical members of that group (like scorpionfishes) arecloser to the "true" Gasterosteiformes, so we can see why it was changed.

Families and genera

• Family Hypoptychidae Steindachner, 1880 (Korean sandlance)
  • Hypoptychus Steindachner, 1880
• Family Aulorhynchidae Gill, 1861 (Tubesnouts)
  • Aulichthys Brevoort 1862
  • Aulorhynchus Gill, 1861
• Family Gasterosteidae Bonaparte, 1831 (Sticklebacks)
  • Apeltes DeKay, 1842
  • Culaea Whitley, 1950
  • Gasterosteus Linnaeus, 1758
  • Pungitius d'Annone, 1760
  • Spinachia Cuvier, 1816
• Family Indostomidae Prashad & Mukerji, 1929 (Armoured sticklebacks)
  • Indostomus Prashad & Mukerji, 1929

Characteristics

These fish have the possession of an upper jaw and a well developed upward pointing process on the premaxilla. They have small mouths. The body usually has dermal plates.

Extinct genera

Here are two of the extinct genera of the Gasterosteoidei:

• Aulostomoides
• Paramphisile

Related pages

• Gabanellia
• Scorpaeniformes