Why Osteoglossomorpha is one of the most peculiar groups of fish - a review

Abstract

Osteoglossomorpha is a significant taxon for studies of evolution and various aspects of fish biology as an evolutionarily old group of fish. The taxon exhibits anatomical, morphological and physiological diversity and various adaptations such as air breathing or electroreception as well as modifications visible in sight and olfactory organs. A peculiarity of this group is the presence of four types of spermatozoa, namely complex introsperm and uni-, bi-, and aflagellate aquasperm. Given the unique morphology and large dimensions of some species, osteoglossomorphs are popular in aquaristics as ornamental fish, and in fisheries because they are an important source of food in many countries. The aim of this paper is to focus on some aspects of the biology and unique features as well as the importance for humans of this unusual group of fish.