Siluriformes (order)

Members of an order of nearly 2,900 species placed in about 35 families of bony fishes, characterized by certain distinctive features of the skull and swimbladder. Species vary widely in size and behavior, but most species have prominent barbels. They are sometimes classified in the same order as characins, carp, and minnows; their taxonomy is currently in flux as more research in molecular relationships is undertaken.