Amiidae

Extant bowfin Amia calva

The Amiidae are a family of basal ray-finned fishes in the order Amiiformes. The bowfin (Amia calva) and the eyespot bowfin (Amia ocellicauda) are the only two to survive today, but other than those, a vast majority of them went extinct.

Bowfins are found throughout eastern North America, typically in slow-moving backwaters, canals, and oxbow lakes. Amiidae is an ancient group that has numerous synapomorphic characters. Amiidae were widespread and rich in species during the Eocene era.

Cyclurus kehreri fossil

Taxonomy

Sinamiidae

Family Sinamiidae

• Genus †Siamamia
• Genus †Sinamia
• Genus †Khoratamia
• Genus †Ikechaoamia

Amiinae

See the main article: Amiinae

Subfamily Amiinae

• Genus Amia
• Genus †Cyclurus
• Genus †Pseudoamiatus

Related pages

• Amiiformes
• Acanthopterygii
• List of prehistoric bony fish genera

References

• Grande, L.; Bemis, W.E. (1998). "A Comprehensive Phylogenetic Study of Amiid Fishes (Amiidae) Based on Comparative Skeletal Anatomy. An Empirical Search for Interconnected Patterns of Natural History". Memoir (Society of Vertebrate Paleontology). 4: 1–679. doi:10.2307/3889331. JSTOR 3889331.