Species

Hagfish

Class Myxini; completely marine

mountain brook lamprey Ichthyomyzon greeleyi

mountain creeks; non-parasitic

sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus

marine, but tolerate many habitats; caused issue in great lakes; parasitic

Ichthyomyzon, Petromyzon

Genus in Family Petromyzontidae

Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Superclass Agnatha, Class Petromyzontida, Order Petromyzontiformes, Family Petromyzontidae

Taxonomy of Family Petromyzontidae

sharks

placoid scales; replaceable teeth; protrusible upper jaws; marine life cycle but some may enter freshwater periodically

skates and rays

placoid scales; replaceable teeth; depressed body; mostly marine

Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Superclass Gnathostomata, Class Chondrichthys, Subclass Elasmobranchii

taxonomy of sharks, skates, and rays

Ratfish

single gill cover; no scales on most the body; continuously growing teeth that form crushing plates; immovable upper jaws

Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Superclass Gnathostomata, Class Chondrichthyes, Subclass Holocephali

taxonomy for ratfish

lungfish

paired fleshy fins; large tooth plates for crushing food; possess lungs and can survive periods outside the water

Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Superclass Gnathostomata, Class Sarcopterygii, Subclass Dipnoi

taxonomy for lungfish

Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Superclass Gnathostomata, Class Actinopterygii, Order Acipenseriformes, Family Acipenseridae

taxonomy for sturgeons

lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens

freshwater; bottom feeder; 4 smooth barbels around mouth; area posterior to anal fin has midlines separated by naked areas; snout is rounded and blunt

shortnose sturgeon Acipenser brevirostrum

endangered; short and rounded head; spawn in freshwater, anadromous

Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrhinchus

v-shaped rostrum; pointed snout with narrow mouth; often jumps out of water

gulf sturgeon Acipenser desotoi

feeds in ocean, then fasts for breeding in rivers; v-shaped, upturned nose

Paddlefish Polyodon spathula

long, paddle-shaped rostrum; prefers large, silty rivers and reservoirs; mainly in the Mississippi river basins

Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Superclass Gnathostomata, Class Actinopterygii, Order Acipenseriformes, Family Polyodontidae

taxonomy for paddlefish

alligator gar Atractosteus spatula

two rows of teeth; largest of group; spotted fins; slow, sluggish waters; more tolerable of salinity that others of its group

spotted gar Lepidosteus aculatus

covered in dark spots; ganoid scales

longnose gar Lepisosteus osseus

long, slender snout; spots on fins and body

shortnose gar Lepisosteus platostomus

ganoid scales; black spots on fins, paired fins usually lack spots