Albuliformes - Bonefishes

Albuliformes is the fish order with only one family Albulidae, commonly known as the bonefishes.

The slender body of the bonefish is silver, with a blue to green-tinted back. On the upper half of the body, there are dark streaks with cross bands connecting to the lateral line. The body is rounded with a long, slightly downturned snout. The dorsal and caudal fins are black. Bonefish vary in adult length from 40–100 cm depending on the species. The average size of a bonefish is from 3 to 5 pounds (1–2 kg) with the Florida record being 16 pounds 3 oz (7.34 kg).

The bonefishes are brackish or saltwater fish typically living in estuaries and traveling out to sea to spawn on a lunar cycle. They feed in the shallow sand and mudflats, on benthic organisms, such as worms, mollusks, shrimp, and crabs. They use their conical-shaped snouts to root out their prey and can often be seen with their tails out of the water. Bonefishes possess crushing teeth in their palates.

The family is small, with 11 species in 3 genera.