Actinopterygii

Ray-finned fish
Atlantic herring
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Orders Many: see text

The Actinopterygii are the ray-finned fish. They are the dominant group of vertebrates, with over 27,000 species ubiquitous throughout freshwater and marine environments. They are traditionally treated as a subclass of the Osteichthyes, or bony fish, but as that group is paraphyletic they may be treated as a full class.

Traditionally three grades of Actinopterygii have been recognized: the Chondrostei, Holostei, and Teleostei. The second is paraphyletic and tends to be abandoned, however, while the first is now restricted to those forms closer to extant Chondrostei than to the other groups. Nearly all fish alive today are teleosts. A listing of the different groups is given below, down to the level of orders, arranged in what is believed to represent the evolutionary sequence down to the level of superorder.

• Chondrostei
  • Order Polypteriformes (bichirs)
  • Order Acipenseriformes (sturgeons, paddlefish)
• Order Semionotiformes (gars)
• Order Amiiformes (bowfins)
• Teleostei
  • Osteoglossomorpha
    • Order Osteoglossiformes (bony tongues, etc)
    • Order Hiodontiformes (mooneye, etc)
  • Elopomorpha
    • Order Elopiformes (tarpons, etc)
    • Order Albuliformes (bonefishes)
    • Order Notacanthiformes (spiny eels)
    • Order Anguilliformes (true eels, gulpers)
    • Order Saccopharyngiformes
  • Clupeomorpha
    • Order Clupeiformes (herrings & allies)
  • Ostariophysi
    • Order Gonorhynchiformes
    • Order Cypriniformes (minnows & allies)
    • Order Characiformes (characins & allies)
    • Order Gymnotiformes (electric eels, knifefishes)
    • Order Siluriformes (catfishes)
  • Protacanthopterygii
    • Order Salmoniformes (salmon & allies)
    • Order Esociformes (pikes & allies)
    • Order Osmeriformes
  • Sternopterygii
    • Order Ateleopodiformes (jellynose fishes)
    • Order Stomiiformes (dragonfishes & allies)
  • Cyclosquamata
    • Order Aulopiformes (lizardfishes)
  • Scopelomorpha
    • Order Myctophiformes (lanternfishes)
  • Lampridiomorpha
    • Order Lampridiformes (opahs, etc)
  • Polymyxiomorpha
    • Order Polymyxiformes (beardfishes)
  • Paracanthopterygii
    • Order Percopsiformes (trout-perches & allies)
    • Order Batrachoidiformes (toadfishes)
    • Order Lophiiformes (goosefishes, etc)
    • Order Gadiformes (cods & allies)
    • Order Ophidiiformes (cusk eels, etc)
  • Acanthopterygii
    • Order Mugiliformes (mullets & allies)
    • Order Atheriniformes (silversides & allies)
    • Order Beloniformes (needlefishes, etc)
    • Order Cyprinodontiformes (killifishes, etc)
    • Order Stephanoberyciformes (pricklefishes, whalefishes, etc)
    • Order Beryciformes (alfonsinos, etc)
    • Order Zeiformes (dories, etc)
    • Order Gasterosteiformes (sticklebacks, pipefishes & allies)
    • Order Synbranchiformes (swamp-eels, etc)
    • Order Tetraodontiformes (triggerfishes & allies)
    • Order Pleuronectiformes (flatfishes & allies)
    • Order Scorpaeniformes (scorpionfishes & allies)
    • Order Perciformes (perches & many allies)

• NCBI Taxonomy entry