Clupeiformes

Clupeiformes Temporal range: Late Jurassic to present
Atlantic herring, Clupea harengus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Superclass:	Osteichthyes
Class:	Actinopterygii
Subclass:	Neopterygii
Infraclass:	Teleostei
Superorder:	Clupeomorpha
Order:	Clupeiformes Bleeker, 1959
Families
See text

Clupeiformes is the order of ray-finned fish that includes the herring family, Clupeidae, and the anchovy family, Engraulidae. The group includes many of the most important forage and food fish.

Clupeiformes are physostomes, which means that the gas bladder has a pneumatic duct connecting it to the gut. They typically lack a lateral line, but still have the eyes, fins and scales that are common to most fish, though not all fish have these attributes. They are generally silvery fish with streamlined, spindle-shaped, bodies, and they often school. Most species eat plankton which they filter from the water with their gill rakers.

Families

The order includes about 405 species in seven families:

Order Clupeiformes

• Family Chirocentridae (wolf herrings)
• Family Clupeidae (herrings, sardines, shads, and menhadens)
• Family Denticipitidae (denticle herring)
• Family Dussumieriidae (round herrings)
• Family Engraulidae (anchovies)
• Family Pristigasteridae
• Family Sundasalangidae (Sundaland noodlefishes)

Timeline of genera