Ostariophysan

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ostariophysan, (superorder Ostariophysi), any of about 8,000 species of bony fishes belonging to a group that includes the majority of freshwater fishes throughout the world. Familiar representatives of this group are the minnows, suckers, carps, piranhas, electric eels, and innumerable catfishes. Humans consume huge quantities of ostariophysans for food. Some of these fishes are also popular in tropical aquariums. A few harmful species can inflict painful injuries; some others serve as intermediate hosts for parasites of humans. Many of these fishes exhibit strange and fascinating behaviour such as nest building, oral incubation, egg laying in mollusk shells, walking and flying, air breathing, production of sound and electricity, and communication by chemical secretions.

The largest order in superorder Ostariophysi is Siluriformes, containing the 35 recognized families of catfishes. The remaining 33 families in Ostariophysi are distributed among the orders Cypriniformes (minnows, carps, suckers, and other fishes), Characiformes (characins, hatchetfishes, pencil fishes, and others), Gymnotiformes (electric eels and other fishes), and Gonorynchiformes (the milkfish, beaked sandfishes, and others). These orders are divided into two groups, or series, based on the presence or absence of the Weberian apparatus, a bony connection between the swim bladder and the inner ear that enhances the perception of sound. Series Anotophysi, containing only the order Gonorynchiformes, does not possess a true Weberian apparatus. Series Otophysi is made up of the four remaining orders, the members of which possess a true Weberian apparatus.