Night lights of the Caribbean
     Kryptophanaron alfredi

 

Classification



Domain- Eukarya: Cells contain a bound nucleus

Kingdom- Animalia: Multicellular eukaryotic organisms

Phylum-Chordata: deuterostomes (anus formed before the mouth)

Class-Ostheichthyes: bony fish

Order-Beryciformes: fish that have ray-like fins

Family-Anomalopidae: flashlight fish that have a light producing organ
For a brief overview of Anomalopidae visit Discover Life.

Genus-Kryptophanaron: fish that have light organ under their eye that can be shielded

Species-Kryptophanaron alfredi

Common Name: Atlantic Flashlight Fish


    This tree gives the order Beryciformes and family Anomalopidae of K. alfredi.  It breaks down the family into the three main geneses: Anomalops, Photoblepharon and Kryptophanaron.  The tree is based on morphological data to distinguish between genus and species.  The Kryptophanaron alfredi is most closely related to the Kryptophanaron harveyi.  They are the most closely related, both having a light organ located under the eye that can be shielded by a shutter like structure (Baldwin and Johnson 1995).

 

phylogenetic tree 

Figure 1. Phylogenetic tree of Anomalopidae family (Herrish 1982 and Wolfe and Haygood 1991.) Modified by Kara Greenwood 2013.


     The K. alfredi can be grouped in the phylum Chordata because it has a dorsal nerve cord and vertebrae. Another organism that is classified as a Chordate is the California Meadow Vole (Microtus californicus).  According to this tree, chordates share their most recent common ancestor with the phylum Echinodermata.  This is because they are both deuterostomes, meaning their anus forms first.  The phylogenetic tree below is based on morphological data between each phylum.

Phylogenetic tree#2
Figure 1. Phylogenetic tree of animal phylum. (Modified from Gerrish 2013.) 




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