Quire
Codlets
Codlets
Bregmaceros bathymaster
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassActinopterygii
DivisionTeleostei
OrderGadiformes
SuborderBregmacerotoidei
FamilyBregmacerotidae
T. N. Gill, 1872
GenusBregmaceros
W. Thompson ex Cantor, 1840
Species
See text

Codlets are a family, Bregmacerotidae, of cod-like fishes, containing the single genus Bregmaceros found in tropical and subtropical waters throughout the world. They are very small fishes, and even the largest, B. lanceolatus, reaches only 11.5 cm (4.5 in) in length.

The codlets appear to be sister to all remaining Gadiformes lineages[1], even when attempting to account for possible long branch attraction. They are the only member of the suborder Bregmacerotoidei.[2]

Etymology#edit

Their scientific name is from Greek bregma, meaning the top of the head, and keras, meaning "horn"; this refers to their occipital ray (a spine emerging from the top of the head).

Species#edit

Currently, 17 species in this genus are recognized:[3]

Fossil species#edit

Fossil of Bregmaceros albyi from Italy
Fossil of Bregmaceros albyi from Italy Image: source and license

Fossils of Bregmaceros are found from the Eocene to the Quaternary (age range: from 37.2 to 0.0 million years ago). They are known from various localities in Europe, North America, Africa, and Australasia. A few are known from articulated fossils' skeletons, but a vast majority of fossil bregmacerotid remains are only from isolated, diagnostic otoliths.[4] About 14 fossil Bregmaceros species are known, with two from articulated skeletons and 12 known from otoliths:[4]

A potential extinct relative, Bregmacerina, is known from the Early Miocene of Russia, where it inhabited the Paratethys. It shares close similarities to Bregmaceros in the reduction of the first dorsal fin, but differs in other aspects. It remains uncertain whether it is an actual member of the Bregmacerotidae.[4]

References#edit

  1. ^ Roa-Varón, Adela; Dikow, Rebecca B; Carnevale, Giorgio; Tornabene, Luke; Baldwin, Carole C; Li, Chenhong; Hilton, Eric J (2021-06-16). Ruane, Sara (ed.). "Confronting Sources of Systematic Error to Resolve Historically Contentious Relationships: A Case Study Using Gadiform Fishes (Teleostei, Paracanthopterygii, Gadiformes)". Systematic Biology. 70 (4): 739–755. doi:10.1093/sysbio/syaa095. ISSN 1063-5157. PMC 8561434. PMID 33346841.
  2. ^ Fricke, R.; Eschmeyer, W. N.; Van der Laan, R. (2025). "ESCHMEYER'S CATALOG OF FISHES: CLASSIFICATION". California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
  3. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Bregmaceros". FishBase. September 2024 version.
  4. ^ a b c Přikryl, Tomáš; Brzobohatý, Rostislav; Gregorová, Růžena (2016-03-01). "Diversity and distribution of fossil codlets (Teleostei, Gadiformes, Bregmacerotidae): review and commentary". Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments. 96 (1): 13–39. doi:10.1007/s12549-015-0222-z. hdl:11104/0259863. ISSN 1867-1608.


This article is mirrored from “Codlet” on English Wikipedia, revision 1341274535, written by Wikipedia's contributors and licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Editing it here creates a Quire copy with its own history.

Synced with Wikipedia revision 1341274535 · just now