Blue striped sea chub (Sectator ocyurus) is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean from Baja California and further south. This sea chub grows to about 18 inches in length.

The Sea chub family (Kyphosidae) contains three groups of fish. Rudderfishes or drummers (Kyphosinae), nibblers or black fishes (Girellinae), and halfmoons (Scorpidinae) are found in this grouping.

Rudderfish, drummers, or sea chubs (Kyphosidae) travel in schools and are found worldwide. Several species are known to follow slow moving boats. The Pacific Ocean genus Kyphosus belongs here with its 8 species of which 6 are found near Australia.

Kuiter in his book on SE Australian fishes separates the Girellidae into a separate family. In Kuiter's Girellidae there is a single genus, Girella, with about 10 species found in the Pacific Ocean and the eastern Indian Ocean near Australia.

The halfmoons are found in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Perch-like Fish, Order Perciformes, are the largest order of fish in both freshwater and shallow saltwater. Most of the conventional fish belong to this order. The bass, bluegills, perch and crappies of freshwater plus the groupers and sea bass of salt water belong to this order. The fish all have spiny rays in their fins and the tail fin has seventeen rays. There are approximately 150 families. Herein, we have placed the families in alphabetical sequence within this order. (In some instances the typical taxonomic sequence of families is not much help. Consider, for example, that the barracudas are usually placed between the mullets and the threadfins.)

Bony fish, Class Teleostomi, are a class of chordates that include the majority of fish-like animals found on earth. They are characterized by a bony jaw and a bony skeleton. They are found in both fresh and marine waters.

Backboned Animals (Phylum Chordata) are the most advanced group of animals on earth. These animals are characterized by having a spinal cord or backbone. Most members have a clearly defined brain that controls the organism through a spinal cord. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are in this phylum.

Currently, some taxonomists believe that the fish should be divided into two groups (sharks and regular fishes) and that there are some other primitive groups in the phylum such as hagfish or lampreys.

Animal Kingdom contains numerous organisms that feed on other animals or plants. Included in the animal kingdom are the lower marine invertebrates such as sponges and corals, the jointed legged animals such as insects and spiders, and the backboned animals such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

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