Editing Characiformes (section)

== Taxonomy ==
[[File:Citharinus congicus.jpg|thumb|''[[Citharinus congicus]]'' is a member of the most basal characiform lineage]]
[[File:Hydrocynus goliath Gifu.jpg|thumb|''[[Hydrocynus goliath]]'', from Africa, is one of the largest species in the order]]
[[File:Characiformes in the Munim River Basin.jpg|thumb|Diversity of characiforms from the [[Munim River]] basin]]
[[File:Peixes da planície de inundação do alto rio Paraná (3678425).png|thumb|Diversity of large-sized characiforms from the [[Paraná River]] basin]]
The following classification is based on ''[[Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes]]'' (2025),<ref name=":13">{{Cite web |last=Fricke |first=R. |last2=Eschmeyer |first2=W. N. |last3=Van der Laan |first3=R. |date=2025 |title=ESCHMEYER'S CATALOG OF FISHES: CLASSIFICATION |url=https://www.calacademy.org/eschmeyers-catalog-of-fishes-classification |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=California Academy of Sciences |language=en}}</ref> with suprafamilial divisions based on Betancur ''et al'' (2018) & Melo ''et al'' (2022):<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=Betancur-R. |first=Ricardo |last2=Arcila |first2=Dahiana |last3=Vari |first3=Richard P. |last4=Hughes |first4=Lily C. |last5=Oliveira |first5=Claudio |last6=Sabaj |first6=Mark H. |last7=Ortí |first7=Guillermo |date=2019-02-01 |title=Phylogenomic incongruence, hypothesis testing, and taxonomic sampling: The monophyly of characiform fishes* |url=https://academic.oup.com/evolut/article-abstract/73/2/329/6882143?redirectedFrom=fulltext |journal=Evolution |volume=73 |issue=2 |pages=329–345 |doi=10.1111/evo.13649 |issn=0014-3820}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Melo |first=Bruno F |last2=Sidlauskas |first2=Brian L |last3=Near |first3=Thomas J |last4=Roxo |first4=Fabio F |last5=Ghezelayagh |first5=Ava |last6=Ochoa |first6=Luz E |last7=Stiassny |first7=Melanie L J |last8=Arroyave |first8=Jairo |last9=Chang |first9=Jonathan |last10=Faircloth |first10=Brant C |last11=MacGuigan |first11=Daniel J |last12=Harrington |first12=Richard C |last13=Benine |first13=Ricardo C |last14=Burns |first14=Michael D |last15=Hoekzema |first15=Kendra |date=2022-01-01 |title=Accelerated Diversification Explains the Exceptional Species Richness of Tropical Characoid Fishes |url=https://academic.oup.com/sysbio/article/71/1/78/6294320 |journal=Systematic Biology |volume=71 |issue=1 |pages=78–92 |doi=10.1093/sysbio/syab040 |issn=1063-5157|pmc=9034337 }}</ref>

* Order '''Characiformes'''
** Suborder [[Citharinoidei]]
*** Family [[Citharinidae]] <small>[[Albert Günther|Günther]]</small><small>, 1864</small> (citharinids)
*** Family [[Distichodontidae]] <small>Günther</small><small>, 1864</small> (distichodontids)
** Suborder [[Characoidei]]
*** Superfamily [[Crenuchoidea]]
**** Family [[Crenuchidae]] <small>Günther 1864</small> (crenuchids)
*** Superfamily [[Alestoidea]]
**** Family [[Alestidae]] <small>[[Theodore D. A. Cockerell|Cockerell]]</small><small>, 1910</small> (African tetras)
**** Family [[Lepidarchidae]] <small>Melo & [[Melanie Stiassny|Stiassny]]</small><small>, 2024</small>
**** Family [[Hepsetidae]] <small>[[Carl Leavitt Hubbs|Hubbs]]</small><small>, 1939</small> (African pikes)
*** Superfamily [[Erythrinoidea]]<ref name=":2" /> (=Curimatoidea, Anostomoidea)<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Dillman |first=Casey B. |last2=Sidlauskas |first2=Brian L. |last3=Vari |first3=Richard P. |date=2016 |title=A morphological supermatrix-based phylogeny for the Neotropical fish superfamily Anostomoidea (Ostariophysi: Characiformes): phylogeny, missing data and homoplasy |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cla.12127 |journal=Cladistics |language=en |volume=32 |issue=3 |pages=276–296 |doi=10.1111/cla.12127 |issn=1096-0031}}</ref>
**** Family [[Tarumaniidae]] <small>de Pinna, Zuanon, Rapp Py-Daniel & Petry</small><small>, 2017</small> (muckfishes)
**** Family [[Erythrinidae]] <small>[[Achille Valenciennes|Valenciennes]]</small><small>, 1847</small> (trahiras)
**** Family [[Parodontidae]] <small>[[Carl H. Eigenmann|Eigenmann]]</small><small>, 1910</small> (darter tetras)
**** Family [[Cynodontidae]] <small>Eigenmann</small><small>, 1903</small> (sabertoothed characids)
**** Family [[Serrasalmidae]] <small>Bleeker</small><small>, 1859</small> (piranhas and allies)
**** Family [[Hemiodontidae]] <small>Bleeker</small><small>, 1859</small> (hemiodontids)
**** Family [[Anostomidae]] <small>Günther</small><small>, 1864</small> (toothed headstanders)
**** Family [[Chilodidae]] <small>Eigenmann</small><small>, 1910</small> (headstanders)
**** Family [[Curimatidae]] <small>[[Theodore Gill|Gill]]</small><small>, 1858</small> (toothless characiforms)
**** Family [[Prochilodontidae]] <small>Eigenmann</small><small>, 1909</small> (bocachicos)
*** Superfamily [[Characoidea]]
**** Family [[Lebiasinidae]] <small>Gill</small><small>, 1889</small> (lebiasinids)
**** Family [[Ctenoluciidae]] <small>[[Leonard Peter Schultz|Schultz]]</small><small>, 1944</small> (pike characids)
**** Family [[Chalceidae]] <small>[[Henry Weed Fowler|Fowler]]</small><small>, 1958</small> (tucanfishes)
**** Family [[Triportheidae]] <small>Fowler</small><small>, 1940</small> (hatchet characins)
**** Family [[Gasteropelecidae]] <small>[[Pieter Bleeker|Bleeker]]</small><small>, 1859</small> (freshwater hatchetfishes)
**** Family [[Bryconidae]] <small>Eigenmann</small><small>, 1912</small> (bryconids)
**** Family [[Iguanodectidae]] <small>Eigenmann</small><small>, 1909</small> (iguanodectids)
**** Family [[Acestrorhynchidae]] <small>Eigenmann</small><small>, 1912</small> (freshwater barracudas and biting tetras)
**** Family [[Spintherobolidae]] <small>Mirande</small><small>, 2019</small> (piquiras)
**** Family [[Stevardiidae]] <small>Gill</small><small>, 1858</small> (stevardiids)
**** Family [[Characidae]] <small>[[Pierre André Latreille|Latreille]]</small><small>, 1825</small> (characids)
**** Family [[Acestrorhamphidae]] <small>Eigenmann</small><small>, 1907</small> (American tetras)
****''[[incertae sedis]]'' genera (Characidae ''[[sensu lato]]''):<ref name=":13" />
*****Genus ''[[Dectobrycon]]'' <small>Zarske & Géry</small><small>, 2006</small>
*****Genus ''[[Naked characin|Gymnocharacinus]]'' <small>Steindachner</small><small>, 1903</small>
*****Genus ''[[Leptobrycon]]'' <small>Eigenmann</small><small>, 1915</small>
*****Genus ''[[Mixobrycon]]'' <small>Eigenmann</small><small>, 1915</small>
*****Genus ''[[Oligobrycon]]'' <small>Eigenmann</small><small>, 1915</small>
*****Genus ''[[Schultzites]]'' <small>Géry</small><small>, 1964</small>
*****Genus ''[[Scissor (fish)|Scissor]]'' <small>Günther</small><small>, 1864</small>
*****Genus ''[[Serrabrycon]]'' <small>Vari</small><small>, 1986</small>
*****Genus ''[[Thrissobrycon]]'' <small>Böhlke</small><small>, 1953</small>

=== Fossil taxa ===

* Order '''Characiformes'''
** Genus †''[[Eotexachara]]'' <small>Wick, 2021</small> ([[Late Cretaceous]] of Texas, US)<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last=Wick |first=Steven L. |date=2021-12-01 |title=New early Campanian characiform fishes (Otophysi: Characiformes) from West Texas support a South American origin for known Late Cretaceous characiforms from North America |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S019566712100241X |journal=Cretaceous Research |volume=128 |pages=104993 |doi=10.1016/j.cretres.2021.104993 |issn=0195-6671}}</ref>
** Genus †''[[Primuluchara]]'' <small>Wick, 2021</small> (Late Cretaceous of Alberta, Canada and Texas, US)''<ref name=":4" />''
** Suborder Citharinoidei
*** Genus †''[[Eocitharinus]]'' <small>Murray, 2002</small> ([[middle Eocene]] of Tanzania)<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Murray |first=Alison M. |date=2003-09-12 |title=A new Eocene citharinoid fish (Ostariophysi: Characiformes) from Tanzania |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1671/1854 |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=501–507 |doi=10.1671/1854 |issn=0272-4634}}</ref>
** Suborder [[Characoidei]]
*** Genus †''[[Tiupampichthys]]'' <small>Gayet & Jegu, 2003</small> (latest Cretaceous to [[late Paleocene]] of Bolivia<small>)</small><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gayet |first=Mireille |last2=Jégu |first2=Michel |last3=Bocquentin |first3=Jean |last4=Negri |first4=Francisco R. |date=2003-04-11 |title=New characoids from the Upper Cretaceous and Paleocene of Bolivia and the Mio-Pliocene of Brazil: phylogenetic position and paleobiogeographic implications |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1671/0272-4634%282003%2923%5B28%3ANCFTUC%5D2.0.CO%3B2 |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=23 |issue=1 |pages=28–46 |doi=10.1671/0272-4634(2003)23[28:NCFTUC]2.0.CO;2 |issn=0272-4634}}</ref>
*** Superfamily [[Characoidea]]<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Terán |first=Guillermo E |last2=Benitez |first2=Mauricio F |last3=Mirande |first3=J Marcos |date=2020-04-11 |title=Opening the Trojan horse: phylogeny of Astyanax, two new genera and resurrection of Psalidodon (Teleostei: Characidae) |url=https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa019 |journal=Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society |doi=10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa019 |issn=0024-4082}}</ref>
**** Genus †''[[Bryconetes]]'' <small>Weiss, Malabarba & Malabarba, 2014</small> ([[Priabonian|Late Eocene]]/[[Early Oligocene]] of Brazil)<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Weiss |first=Fernanda E. |last2=Malabarba |first2=Maria Claudia |last3=Malabarba |first3=Luiz R. |date=2014 |title=A new stem fossil characid (Teleostei: Ostariophysi) from the Eocene-Oligocene of southeastern Brazil |url=https://www.scielo.br/j/ni/a/LvvWysnK97JkGWmjTynns5R/?format=html&lang=en&stop=next |journal=Neotropical Ichthyology |language=en |volume=12 |pages=439–450 |doi=10.1590/1982-0224-20140072 |issn=1679-6225}}</ref>
**** Genus †''[[Paleotetra]]'' <small>Weiss, Malabarba & Malabarba, 2012</small> (Late Eocene/Early Oligocene of Brazil)<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Weiss |first=Fernanda E. |last2=Malabarba |first2=Luiz R. |last3=Malabarba |first3=Maria Claudia |date=2012-03-01 |title=Phylogenetic relationships of Paleotetra, a new characiform fish (Ostariophysi) with two new species from the Eocene-Oligocene of south-eastern Brazil |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14772019.2011.565082 |journal=Journal of Systematic Palaeontology |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=73–86 |doi=10.1080/14772019.2011.565082 |issn=1477-2019}}</ref>

=== Phylogeny ===
Below is a phylogeny of living Characiformes based on Betancur-Rodriguez ''et al.'' 2017<ref>{{cite journal |journal=BMC Evolutionary Biology |volume=17 |issue=162 |title=Phylogenetic classification of bony fishes |first=Ricardo |last=Betancur-Rodriguez |author2=Edward O. Wiley |author3=Gloria Arratia |author4=Arturo Acero |author5=Nicolas Bailly |author6=Masaki Miya |author7=Guillaume Lecointre |author8=Guillermo Ortí |edition=4 |doi=10.1186/s12862-017-0958-3 |year=2017 |page=162 |pmc=5501477 |pmid=28683774 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2017BMCEE..17..162B }}</ref> and Nelson, Grande & Wilson 2016.<ref>{{cite book |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |title=Fishes of the World |first=Joseph S. |last=Nelson |author2=Terry C. Grande |author3=Mark V. H. Wilson |isbn=9781118342336 | edition=5th |year=2016}}</ref>
{{clade| style=font-size:100%;line-height:80%
|label1=Characiformes
|1={{clade
  |label1=Citharinoidei
  |1={{clade
    |1=[[Distichodontidae]] <small>Günther 1864</small> [[File:Distichodus maculatus.jpg|70 px]]
    |2=[[Citharinidae]] <small>Günther 1864</small> <span style="{{MirrorH}}">[[File:Citharinus citharus.jpg|70 px]]</span>
     }}
  |label2=Characoidei
  |2={{clade
    |label1=Crenuchales
    |1=[[Crenuchidae]] <small>Günther 1864 sensu Froese & Pauly 2001</small>
    |2={{clade
     |label1=Erythrinales
      |1={{clade
        |label1=Alestioidea
        |1={{clade
          |1=[[Hepsetidae]] <small>Hubbs 1939</small> [[File:Hepsetus odoe.jpg|70 px]]
          |2=[[Alestiidae]] <small>Cockerell 1910</small> <span style="{{MirrorH}}">[[File:Hydrocynus vittatus The fishes of the Nile (Pl. XVII) (6961607491).jpg|70 px]]</span>
           }}
        |2={{clade
        |label1=Erythrinoidea
          |1={{clade
            |1=[[Tarumaniidae]] <small>de Pinna et al. 2017</small> 
            |2=[[Erythrinidae]] <small>Valenciennes 1847</small> [[File:Hoplias malabaricus2.jpg|70 px]]
             }}
          |2={{clade
          |label1=Serrasalmoidea
          |label2=Anastomoidea
            |1={{clade
              |1=[[Serrasalmidae]] <small>Bleeker 1859</small> [[File:F de Castelnau-poissonsPl37 (Serrasalmus humeralis).jpg|70 px]]
              |2={{clade
                |1=[[Cynodontidae]] <small>Eigenmann 1903</small> <span style="{{MirrorH}}">[[File:Hydrolycus scomberoides.jpg|70 px]]</span>
                |2=[[Hemiodontidae]] <small>Bleeker 1859</small> <span style="{{MirrorH}}">[[File:Hemiodus amazonum.jpg|70 px]]</span>
                 }}
               }}
            |2={{clade
              |1=[[Parodontidae]] <small>Eigenmann 1910</small>
              |2={{clade
                |1={{clade
                  |1=[[Prochilodontidae]] <small>Eigenmann 1909</small> <span style="{{MirrorH}}">[[File:Prochilodus lineatus d'Orbigny.jpg|70 px]]</span>
                  |2={{clade
                    |1=[[Chilodidae]] <small>Eigenmann 1903</small> 
                    |2=[[Curimatidae]] <small>Gill 1858</small> [[File:Potamorhina latior (white background).jpg|70 px]]
                     }}
                   }}
                |2=[[Anostomidae]] <small>Günther 1864 sensu Nelson 1994</small> [[File:Leporinus fasciatus2.jpg|70 px]]
                 }}
               }}
             }}
           }}
         }}
      |label2=Characales
      |2={{clade
        |label1=Lebiasinoidea
        |1={{clade
          |1=[[Ctenoluciidae]] <small>Schultz 1944</small>
          |2=[[Lebiasinidae]] <small>Gill 1889</small>
           }}
        |2={{clade
         |label1=Chalceoidea
          |1=[[Chalceidae]] <small>Fowler 1958</small>
          |2={{clade
          |label1=Iguanodectoidea
          |label2=Characoidea
            |1={{clade
              |1=[[Iguanodectidae]] <small>Eigenmann 1909</small>
              |2=[[Acestrorhynchidae]] <small>Eigenmann 1912</small>
               }}
            |2={{clade
              |1={{clade
                |1=[[Triportheidae]] <small>Fowler 1940</small> [[File:Triportheus angulatus (white background).jpg|70 px]]
                |2={{clade
                  |1=[[Bryconidae]] <small>Eigenmann 1912</small> <span style="{{MirrorH}}">[[File:Brycon amazonicus de Castelnau.jpg|70 px]]</span>
                  |2=[[Gasteropelecidae]] <small>Bleeker 1859</small> <span style="{{MirrorH}}">[[File:Gasteropelecus maculatus SI.jpg|70 px]]</span>
                   }}
                 }}
              |2=[[Characidae]] <small>Latreille 1825 sensu Buckup 1998</small> <span style="{{MirrorH}}">[[File:Exodon paradoxus Castelnau.jpg|70 px]]</span>
               }}
             }}
           }}
         }}
       }}
     }}
   }}
 }}