Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii) fish profiles

Ray-finned fish information and info on the Actinopterygii also known as Ray-finned fishes

The ray-finned fishes are so called because they possess "fin rays", their fins having webs of skin supported by bony or horny spines. These fin rays attach directly to the basal skeletal elements, the radials, which represent the link or connection between these fins and the internal skeleton (e.g., pelvic and pectoral girdles).

In terms of numbers, Ray-finned fish are the dominant class of vertebrates, comprising nearly 96% of the 25,000 known species of fish. They are ubiquitous throughout fresh water and marine environments from the deep sea to the highest mountain streams. Species range in size from Paedocypris, at 8 millimetres (0.31 in), to the massive Ocean Sunfish, at 2,300 kilograms (5,100 lb), and the long-bodied Oarfish, to at least 11 metres (36 ft).

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