Tetraodontiformes

E47277

Tetraodontiformes is an order of highly specialized ray-finned fishes that includes pufferfish, triggerfish, boxfish, and their relatives, many of which are known for their unique body shapes and defensive adaptations.


Statements (64)
Predicate Object
instanceOf order of fishes
ray-finned fish order
taxonomic order
behavior complex courtship in some species
territoriality in many triggerfish
class Actinopterygii
commonName pufferfish and allies
defensiveAdaptation cryptic coloration
inflation of body in many species
spines or bony plates
toxic tissues in many species
warning coloration
diet coral and algae feeding in some species
crustacean-feeding in many species
molluscivorous in many species
omnivorous in many species
diversity contains multiple families
economicImportance aquarium trade species
food fish in some regions
fugu delicacy in Japan from some pufferfish
finMorphology caudal fin often reduced or modified
dorsal and anal fins often used for precise maneuvering
reduced or absent pelvic fins in many species
fossilRecord known from the Cretaceous period
habitat brackish waters for some species
coral reefs
freshwater for some pufferfish
open ocean for some species
rocky reefs
subtropical marine waters
temperate marine waters for some species
tropical marine waters
hasCharacteristic fusion of bones in the head and body
high maneuverability
highly specialized body plan
often covered with scales modified into spines or plates
reduced number of bones in the skull
reduced number of vertebrae
slow swimming in many species
thick skin
unusual body shapes
includes boxfish
cowfish
filefish
ocean sunfish
porcupinefish
pufferfish
triggerfish
trunkfish
jawCharacteristic beak-like jaws in many species
fused teeth forming dental plates
kingdom Animalia
notableFamily Balistidae
Diodontidae
Molidae
Monacanthidae
Ostraciidae
Tetraodontidae
phylum Chordata
reproduction external fertilization
mostly oviparous
risk can be poisonous to humans if improperly prepared
superorder Acanthopterygii
toxin tetrodotoxin in many pufferfish

Referenced by (3)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Balistidae
humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa
order
Actinopterygii
includesOrder

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