Centrarchiformes /sɛnˈtrɑːrkɪfɔːrmiːz/ is an order of ray-finned fish, previously included amongst the perciformes.

[1] This order first appeared about 55.8 million years ago in the Eocene Era, and is composed primarily of omnivores.

The order has a wide range that includes the continents of Australia and South America.

[2][3] Many centrarchiforms look essentially perch-like, featuring a stocky build and a spine-bearing dorsal fin, and range in size from 2.5 cm in length (for Elassoma gilberti), to 1.8 meters for the Maccullochella peelii.

[6] Centrarchiformes includes the following subgroups:[7] Cladogram from Near & Thacker, 2024:[8] Percalates (estuary perches) Girellidae (nibblers) Scorpididae (halfmoons) Kyphosidae (sea chubs) Kuhlia (flagtails) Terapontidae (grunters) Dichistius (galjoen fishes) Oplegnathus (knifejaws) Caesioscorpis theagenes (blowhole perch) Microcanthidae (stripeys) Centrarchidae (sunfishes and blackbasses) Sinipercidae (oriental perches) Enoplosus armatus (old wife) Parascorpis typus (jutjaw) Percichthyidae (temperate perches) Cirrhitidae (hawkfishes) Latridae (trumpeters and morwongs) Chironemus (kelpfishes) Aplodactylus (marblefishes) Cheilodactylus (fingerfishes)