COLLETTE ET AL.: BELONIFORMES 



353 



BELONIFORMES 

 C2 



Fig. 184. Cladogram of the Beloniformes. See text for explanation 

 of character transformation series A-H. 



Exocoetidae 



Fig. 185. Cladogram of the Exocoetidae. I. Swimbladder extends 

 into haemal canal. 2. Pectoral fins enlarged. 3. Lower jaw not elongate 

 in adults. 4. Loss of preanal finfold. 5. Barbels present in juveniles (12). 

 6. Pectoral lateral line branch lost. 7. Beak lost in juvenile (G3). 8. 

 Pectoral fins greatly enlarged. 9. Swimbladder extends far into haemal 

 canal. 10. Pelvic fins enlarged. 1 1. Egg filaments lost. 



Hemiramphidae 



Defined by one derived character: third pair of upper pha- 

 ryngeal bones ankylosed into a plate. Other diagnostic characters 

 include: pectoral fins short or moderately long; premaxillae 

 pointed anteriorly, forming a triangular upper jaw (except in 

 Oxyporhamphiis); lower jaw elongate in juveniles of all genera, 

 adults of most genera; parapophyses forked; swimbladder not 

 extending into haemal canal. 



The Hemiramphidae contains 12 genera and at least 80 species 

 (Parin et al., 1980). Four genera, the first three monotypic (Ar- 

 rhamphus, Chriodorus. Melapedalion, and Oxyporhamphus) 

 have very short or no beaks. Euleplorhamphus and Oxypo- 

 rhamphus contain two offshore species each. Zenarchoptenis, 

 Dermogenys, Hemirhamphodon. and Nomorhamphus contain 

 about 25 sexually dimorphic Indo-West Pacific estuarine or 

 freshwater species. Three of these genera (Dermogenys. Hemi- 

 ramphodon. and Nomorhamphus) are viviparous and have the 

 anal fin of the male modified into what Brembach (1976) has 

 termed an andropodium. Hemiramphus (with 10 species) is a 

 world wide manne genus. Rhynchorhamphus (with 4 species) 

 has fimbriate nasal papillae and is confined to Indo-West Pacific 



marine waters. Hyporhamphus. the most speciose genus, in- 

 cludes two subgenera, Hyporhamphus with 23 species, Repo- 

 rhamphus with 1 1 species. Some of these are marine, some es- 

 tuarine, and some freshwater. All genera are characterized by 

 particular lateral line characters (Parin and Astakhov, 1982). 



Exocoetidae 



Defined by one derived morphological character and three 

 derived early life history characters: swimbladder extending into 

 haemal canal; lower jaw of adults not elongate; preanal finfold 

 reduced or lost; and pectoral fins form last. Other diagnostic 

 characters include: third pair of upper pharyngeal bones coales- 

 cent, the plate readily separating into its left and right compo- 

 nents; pectoral fins long; premaxillae with straight anterior mar- 

 gin; parapophyses simple, not forked. 



The family Exocoetidae contains 7 genera and about 50-55 

 species (Parin, 1961) which have been placed in four subfamilies 

 (Bruun, 1935; Parin, 1961; Fig. 185): Fodiatorinae containing 



