Esociformes

The Esociformes are a small order of ray-finned fish, with two families, Umbridae and Esocidae. The pikes of genus Esox give the order its name.

This order is closely related to the Salmoniformes, the two comprising the superorder Protacanthopterygii, and are often included in their order. The esociform fishes first appeared in the mid-Cretaceous — early products of the Euteleost radiation of that time. Today, they are found in weed-choked freshwater habitats in North America and northern Eurasia.