Actinopterygii

Actinopterygii is the class of ray-finned fishes, whose fins are supported by thin bony rays. It includes most living fish species, from sturgeons to tuna.

Fish: Aquatic vertebrates that typically breathe through gills and use fins for movement. Ray-finned fishes are the largest living branch of this broader vertebrate group.
Fin ray: A slender skeletal element that supports the membrane of a fish fin. These rays give the class its name and support flexible fin surfaces.
Osteichthyes fossil record: The fossil evidence documenting the evolution and diversification of bony vertebrates. It places actinopterygians within the early history of bony vertebrates.
Fisheries: The harvesting and management of wild aquatic organisms for food or other uses. Many commercial fisheries depend on actinopterygian species.
Holostei: A group of living and fossil ray-finned fishes that includes gars and bowfins. Holosteans retain traits that help distinguish them from the dominant teleost radiation.
Fin: An appendage used by aquatic animals for movement, steering, or stability. Ray-finned fishes take their name from the bony rays supporting their fins.
Swim bladder: A gas-filled organ that helps many bony fishes regulate buoyancy. In many actinopterygians, it enables hovering without continuous swimming.
Devonian period: A geological period from about 419 to 359 million years ago, marked by major fish diversification. Early ray-finned fishes are known from Devonian rocks.
Aquaculture: The farming of aquatic organisms in controlled freshwater or marine environments. Farmed salmon, carp, and tilapia are ray-finned fishes.
Chondrostei: A ray-finned fish group that includes sturgeons and paddlefishes. Its members contrast with teleosts in several skeletal and developmental features.

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