• Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

• Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

• Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

• Ray-finned Fishes (Class Actinopterygii)

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Class Actinopterygii, commonly known as the ray-finned fishes, is the largest class of vertebrates, containing more than 35,000 living species and accounting for over half of all known vertebrate diversity. Members are distinguished by fins supported by slender, flexible bony rays rather than the fleshy, lobed fins of their closest relatives. They occupy virtually every aquatic environment on Earth, including freshwater rivers and lakes, estuaries, coral reefs, the open ocean, and the deep sea. Ray-finned fishes exhibit an exceptional range of body forms, feeding strategies, and reproductive adaptations, allowing them to thrive in nearly every aquatic habitat.