Largest order of fish

The largest taxonomic order of fishes is Cypriniformes, the carps and carp-related fishes, with approximately 4,644 recognized species. This almost entirely freshwater group houses the carps, minnows, loaches, barbs and gobies, among others. As 35,700 extant fish species in total are currently recognized by science and included in the June 2024 FishBase listing, this means that members of Cypriniformes represent approximately 14% of that total of fish species, even though they are totally absent from South America and Australia.

The largest taxonomic family within the order Cypriniformes is Cyprinidae, containing the true carps, minnows, barbs and barbels. It is also the largest vertebrate taxonomic family, and currently contains 1,728 species, according to the June 2024 FishBase listing.