Vertebrate Zoology - V. M. Konstantinov 2011

Chordates
Gnathostomes
Class Bony Fishes - Subclass Actinopterygii - Superorder Ganoidei - Orders Amiiformes and Lepisosteiformes

The orders Amiiformes and Lepisosteiformes include surviving ancient Fishes with primitive features of Organization: remnants of a spiral valve in the intestine, a body covered with ganoid scales (or having lost them, as in Amia), and an conus arteriosus. Amia is distributed in the Mississippi River basin of North America. Gars are large predators (up to 3–4 m) that feed on ambush-hunted fish. Among gars, the currently known alligator gars and related species (7 species) inhabit freshwater bodies of North and Central America. A typical representative is the spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus).



Last update: 13/08/2026

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