Tetraodontiformes

views updated

Tetraodontiformes (Plectognathi; class Osteichthyes, subclass Actinopterygii) An order of mainly marine bony fish that have either robust or compressed bodies, a small mouth, restricted gill openings, and scales which are often modified into plates or spines. Among the eight families included in the order are the Balistidae (triggerfish) and the Tetraodontidae (pufferfish).