ABSTRACT
This is the largest order of fishes (largest order of vertebrates as well) and is well represented in our area. The ELH stages are very diverse but fortunately many reflect morphological similarities of those with suborders. Classification of the order is still in progress but D.G. Johnson and his co-authors (see Johnson 1993) have made great strides in developing coherence to it. In our area there are 12 suborders of perciforms and within the largest suborder, Percoidei, there are 40 familes. The other 11 suborders have a total of 33 families.
