Osteichthyes

E41399

Osteichthyes is a vast taxonomic group of bony fishes characterized by skeletons primarily composed of bone rather than cartilage, encompassing both ray-finned and lobe-finned fishes.

Jump to: Statements Referenced by

Statements (51)

Predicate Object
instanceOf clade
superclass
taxon
commonName bony fishes
contrastsWith Chondrichthyes
jawless fishes
distinguishedFrom cartilaginous fishes
estimatedSpeciesNumber over 30000 described species
hasBodyTemperatureRegulation mostly ectothermic
hasCharacteristic gills used for respiration
mostly external fertilization in many species
paired fins usually present
presence of bony operculum covering gills
presence of ossified endoskeleton
scales often present
skeleton primarily composed of bone
terminal or subterminal mouth
usually possess swim bladder
hasCirculatorySystem closed circulatory system
hasDiversity most species-rich group of vertebrates
hasEcologicalRole important predators in aquatic ecosystems
important prey for many animals
key components of aquatic food webs
hasEconomicImportance important in aquaculture
important in aquarium trade
important in commercial fisheries
major source of human food
hasExtantMembers yes
hasFossilRecordFrom Silurian
surface form: Silurian period
hasHeartChambers two-chambered heart in most species
hasMajorHabitat freshwater environments
marine environments
hasReproductiveMode oviparity
ovoviviparity
viviparity
hasRespiratoryOrgan gills
hasSubgroup Tetrapodomorpha
includes Actinopterygii
Sarcopterygii
coelacanths
lobe-finned fishes
lungfishes
ray-finned fishes
teleosts
isPartOf Gnathostomata
jawed vertebrates
kingdom Animalia
mayHaveAccessoryRespiration lungs in some Sarcopterygii
phylum Chordata
subphylum Vertebrata
taxonRank superclass

Referenced by (6)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Neopterygii higherClassification Osteichthyes
Gnathostomata includes Osteichthyes
Vertebrata includesTaxon Osteichthyes
Actinopterygii superclass Osteichthyes
Cladistia superclass Osteichthyes
Cypriniformes superclass Osteichthyes