Aside from the features the share with the rest of the Ostariophysi, of which the Weberian apparatus is the most notable, the Cypriniformes are distinguished by having a single dorsal fin (most of the others have a second, fleshy adipose fin) and by having teeth in the throat rather than the mouth, called pharyngeal teeth.
The most notable family placed here is the Cyprinidae, the carps and minnows. This is the largest family of fish, with members found on all continents except Australia. A few species are found in brackish water, but almost all are found exclusively in freshwater. The other Cypriniformes include the Catostomidae, or suckers, and the Cobitidae, or loaches.
References
"Cypriniformes." FishBase. ed. Froese, R. and D. Pauly (03/2004), Cypriniformes (http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/OrdersSummary.cfm?order=Cypriniformes)
"Cypriniformes." ITIS Standard Report. (Integrated Taxonomic Information System: National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., 2004-04-28). ITIS 162846 (http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=162846)
Aside from the features the share with the rest of the Ostariophysi, of which the Weberian apparatus[?] is the most notable, the Cypriniformes are distinguished by having a single dorsal fin (most of the others have a second, fleshy adipose fin) and by having teeth in the throat rather than the mouth, called pharyngeal teeth[?].
This superorder is characterized by having a Webberian apparatus, i.e., the first four or five vertebrae, called ossicles, are modified and connect the inner ear with the swim bladder.
From a morphological viewpoint, the Cobitoidea is not a very well-defined group (it could be said that it was largely put in place to differentiate all noncyprinid families of the Cypriniformes).
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