Beardfishes Temporal range: Turonian–present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Stout Beardfish, (P. nobilis)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
(unranked):	Acanthomorpha
Order:	Polymixiiformes
Family:	Polymixiidae Bleeker, 1859
Type species
Polymixia nobilis R. T. Lowe, 1838
Families
†Boreiohydriidae Murray & Cumbaa 2013 †Digoriidae Bannikov 1985 Polymixiidae Gill 1862
Synonyms
Polymixioidei Bleeker 1859

The beardfishes consist of a single extant genus, Polymixia, of deep-sea marine ray-finned fish named for their pair of long hyoid barbels. They are classified in their own order Polymixiiformes /pɒliˈmɪksi.ɪfɔːrmiːz/.^[1] But as Nelson says, "few groups have been shifted back and forth as frequently as this one, and they were recently added to Paracanthoptergii".^[2] For instance, they have previously been classified as belonging to the Beryciformes. They are of little economic importance.^[3]

They are found in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian and western Pacific Ocean. They are bottom-dwelling fish, found down to about 800 m (2,600 ft) depth. Most are relatively small fish, although one species, Polymixia berndti, is over 40 cm (16 in) in length.^[3]

The earliest fossils are from the Turonian of Canada, from the former Western Interior Seaway.^[4]

Classification

• Order Polymixiiformes Rosen & Patterson, 1969^[5][6]
  • Genus †Cumbaaichthys Murray 2016
    • †Cumbaaichthys oxyrhynchus Murray 2016
  • Family †Boreiohydriidae Murray & Cumbaa 2013
    • Genus †Boreiohydrias Murray & Cumbaa 2013
      • †Boreiohydrias dayi Murray & Cumbaa 2013
  • Family †Digoriidae Bannikov 1985
    • Genus †Digoria Jordan 1923
      • †Digoria ambigua Jordan 1923
  • Family Polymixiidae Gill 1862
    • Genus †Apricenaichthys Taverne 2011
      • †Apricenaichthys italicus
    • Genus †Berycopsia Radovčić 1975
      • †Berycopsia inopinnata Radovčić 1975
    • Genus †Berycopsis Dixon 1850
      • †B. elegans Dixon 1850
      • †B. germana (Agassiz 1839)
      • †B. pulcher Bannikov & Bacchia 2004
    • Genus †Dalmatichthys Radovčić 1975
      • †Dalmatichthys malezi Radovčić 1975
    • Genus †Homonotichthys Whitley 1933
      • †H. dorsalis (Dixon 1850)
      • †H. elegans (Dixon 1850)
      • †H. rotundus (Woodward 1902)
    • Genus †Magrebichthys Murray & Wilson 2014
      • †Magrebichthys nelsoni Murray & Wilson 2014
    • Genus †Omosoma Costa 1857
      • †O. garretti Bardack 1976
      • †O. pulchellum Davis 1887
      • †O. sahelaimae Costa 1857
      • †O. tselfatense Gaudant 1978
    • Genus †Omosomopsis Gaudant 1978
      • †Omosomopsis sima (Arambourg 1954) Gaudant 1978
    • Genus †Parapolymixia David 1946
      • †Parapolymixia californica David 1946
    • Genus †Pycnosterinx Heckel 1849
      • †P. discoides Heckel 1849
      • †P. dorsalis Pictet 1850
      • †P. heckelii Pictet 1850
      • †P. latus Davis 1887
      • †P. russeggeri Heckel 1849
    • Genus Polymixia Lowe 1836
      • P. berndti Gilbert 1905 (Pacific beardfish)
      • P. busakhini Kotlyar 1993 (Busakhin's beardfish)
      • P. fusca Kotthaus 1970
      • P. japonica Günther 1877 (Silver eye)
      • P. longispina Deng, Xiong & Zhan 1983
      • P. lowei Günther 1859 (Beardfish)
      • P. nobilis Lowe 1838 (Stout beardfish)
      • †P. polita Schwarzhans 2012
      • P. salagomeziensis Kotlyar 1991
      • P. sazonovi Kotlyar 1992
      • P. yuri Kotlyar 1982

Timeline of genera

References

• Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2011-05-17.