Esociformes

Esociformes are a small order of ray-finned fish (the Actinopterygii). There are two families, the Umbridae (mudminnows) and the Esocidae (pikes).

Esociformes
Northern pike (Esox lucius)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Superorder:	Protacanthopterygii
Order:	Esociformes Bleeker, 1859
Families
†Palaeoesocidae Sytchevskaya, 1976 Esocidae G. Cuvier, 1817 Umbridae Bonaparte, 1845
Synonyms
Esocoidei Bleeker, 1859 Haplomi Esocae Umbriformes Günther, 1866

The Esocidae are named after the pike genus Esox. One highly successful species is Esox lucius or northern pike.

The Esociform fishes live in freshwater, in North America and northern Eurasia. The order is very similar to the Salmonidae.

Esocidae

The family Esocidae has three extant genera (Esox, Novumbra, and Dallia) that comprise a holarctic distribution.

Umbridae

Umbridae is another family. So far, the genus Umbra is the only extant genus. The other genera have gone extinct.

Esociformes Media

• Digital reconstruction of Novumbra oregonensis. Scale bar 1 cm.

• Dallia pectoralis (line art).jpg

  Dallia pectoralis (line art)

• Life reconstruction of Palaeoesox fritzschei. Scale bar 1 cm.

• Umbra krameri Lápi póc.jpg

  This fish is Umbra krameri from species of fish in the Umbridae family. It is found in Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine.