Gadiformes - Cods
Description
Morphological characteristics:
- Pelvic fins, when present, inserted below or in front of pectorals (thoracic or jugular, rarely behind in Macrouridae) with up to 11 rays;
- no true spines in the fins;
- most with long dorsal and anal fins;
- scales usually cycloid, rarely ctenoid;
- premaxilla forms the entire margin of the upper jaw, protractile in some;
- ectopterygoid toothless;
- orbitosphenoid and basisphenoid absent;
- branchiostegal rays 6–8;
- posterior vertebral reduction results in posterior dorsal and anal pterygiophores exceeding the number of caudal vertebrae;
- swim bladder without pneumatic duct (the swim bladder is absent in Melanonus and Squalogadus).
Gadiforms have a relatively unique otolith, although the otolith in Phycidae is different and more specialized.
