Actinopterygii, members of which are known as ray-finned fish or actinopterygians, is a class of bony fish that constitutes nearly 99% of the over 30,000 living species of fish. The vast majority of extant actinopterygian species are teleosts, and by species count they dominate the subphylum Vertebrata, comprising over 50% of all living vertebrates. They are the most abundant nektonic aquatic animals and are ubiquitous throughout freshwater, brackish and marine environments from the deep sea to subterranean waters to the highest mountain streams. Extant species can range in size from Paedocypris, at 8 mm (0.3 in), to the giant sunfish, at 2,700 kg (6,000 lb), and the giant oarfish, at 8 m (26 ft). The largest ever known ray-finned fish, the extinct Leedsichthys from the Jurassic, is estimated to have grown to 16.5 m (54 ft).
Read more on WikipediaOccurrences by Geologic Period
Temporal Range
Geographic Distribution
Classification Summary
By Phylum
| Chordata | 1,000 |
By Class
| Osteichthyes | 952 |
| Actinopterygii | 48 |
By Environment
No data.