Actinopterygii

The Actinopterygii are the ray-finned fish. They are the dominant group of vertebrates, with over 27,000 species ubiquitous throughout fresh water and marine environments.

Classification

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. The listing follows FishBase with notes when this differs from Nelson and ITIS.
* Subclass Chondrostei
** Order Polypteriformes, including the bichirs and reedfishes
** Order Acipenseriformes, including the sturgeons and paddlefishes
* Subclass Neopterygii
** Infraclass Holostei
*** Order Lepisosteiformes, the gars
*** Order Amiiformes, the bowfins
** Infraclass Teleostei
*** Superorder Osteoglossomorpha
**** Order Osteoglossiformes, the bony-tongued fishes
**** Order Hiodontiformes, including the mooneye and goldeye
*** Superorder Elopomorpha
**** Order Elopiformes, including the ladyfishes and tarpon
**** Order Albuliformes, the bonefishes
**** Order Notacanthiformes, including the halosaurs and spiny eels
**** Order Anguilliformes, the true eels and gulpers
**** Order Saccopharyngiformes, including the gulper eel
*** Superorder Clupeomorpha
**** Order Clupeiformes, including herrings and anchovies
*** Superorder Ostariophysi
**** Order Gonorynchiformes, including the milkfishes
**** Order Cypriniformes, including barbs, carp, danios, goldfishes, loaches, minnows, rasboras
**** Order Characiformes, including characins, pencilfishes, hatchetfishes, piranhas, tetras.
**** Order Gymnotiformes, including electric eels and knifefishes
**** Order Siluriformes, the catfishes
*** Superorder Protacanthopterygii
**** Order Salmoniformes, including salmon and trout
**** Order Esociformes the pike
**** Order Osmeriformes, including the smelts and galaxiids
*** Superorder Stenopterygii
**** Order Ateleopodiformes, the jellynose fish
**** Order Stomiiformes, including the bristlemouths and marine hatchetfishes
*** Superorder Cyclosquamata
**** Order Aulopiformes, including the Bombay duck and lancetfishes
*** Superorder Scopelomorpha
**** Order Myctophiformes, including the lanternfishes
*** Superorder Lampridiomorpha
**** Order Lampriformes, including the oarfish, opah and ribbonfishes
*** Superorder Polymyxiomorpha
**** Order Polymixiiformes, the beardfishes
*** Superorder Paracanthopterygii
**** Order Percopsiformes, including the cavefishes and trout-perches
**** Order Batrachoidiformes, the toadfishes
**** Order Lophiiformes, including the anglerfishes
**** Order Gadiformes, including cods
**** Order Ophidiiformes, including the pearlfishes
*** Superorder Acanthopterygii
**** Order Mugiliformes, the mullets
**** Order Atheriniformes, including silversides and rainbowfishes
**** Order Beloniformes, including the flyingfishes
**** Order Cetomimiformes, the whalefishes
**** Order Cyprinodontiformes, including livebearers, killifishes
**** Order Stephanoberyciformes, including the ridgeheads
**** Order Beryciformes, including the fangtooths and pineconefishes
**** Order Zeiformes, including the dories
**** Order Gobiesociformes, the clingfishesIn ITIS, Gobiesociformes is placed as the suborder Gobiesocoidei of the order Perciformes.
**** Order Gasterosteiformes including sticklebacks, pipefishes, seahorses
**** Order Syngnathiformes, including the seahorses and pipefishes In ITIS, Syngnathiformes is placed as the suborder Syngnathoidei of the order Gasterosteiformes.
**** Order Synbranchiformes, including the swamp eels
**** Order Tetraodontiformes, including the filefishes and pufferfish
**** Order Pleuronectiformes, the flatfishes
**** Order Scorpaeniformes, including scorpionfishes and the weaver fish
**** Order Perciformes 40% of all fish including anabantids, bass, cichlids, gobies, gouramis, mackerel, perches, scats, whiting, wrasses

Notes

External links

* NCBI Taxonomy entry