• Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

• Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

• Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

• Ray-finned Fishes (Class Actinopterygii)

• Spiny-rayed Fishes (Superorder Acanthomorpha)

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Superorder Acanthomorpha, commonly known as the spiny-rayed fishes, is the largest and most evolutionarily advanced group of ray-finned fishes. Comprising more than 20,000 living species—well over half of all modern fish species. A defining characteristic of the group is the presence of stiff, unsegmented spines in the dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins, which provide protection from predators and improve swimming stability. Members occupy nearly every aquatic habitat on Earth, from freshwater rivers and lakes to coral reefs, coastal estuaries, the open ocean, and the deep sea.