Ray-Finned Fishes
KNOWN SPECIES
34,000
1.44% of our world's living things are ray-finned fish
CHARACTERISTICS
- animals with a backbone (vertebrates)
- they possess gills throughout their life and have limbs that are developed in the shape of fins
SIZE RANGE
0.30 inch to 15 feet (7.5 millimeters to 4.5 meters)
WHERE THEY LIVE
in fresh water and oceans
Here are just SOME of the world’s ray-finned fishes:
![Sticker about size](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/ray-finned-fishes/ray_finned_fishes_size_sticker/5943387-2-eng-US/ray_finned_fishes_size_sticker_full_495.png 495w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/ray-finned-fishes/ray_finned_fishes_size_sticker/5943387-2-eng-US/ray_finned_fishes_size_sticker_full_990.png 600w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/ray-finned-fishes/ray_finned_fishes_size_sticker/5943387-2-eng-US/ray_finned_fishes_size_sticker_full_1468.png 600w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/ray-finned-fishes/ray_finned_fishes_size_sticker/5943387-2-eng-US/ray_finned_fishes_size_sticker_full_1980.png 600w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/ray-finned-fishes/ray_finned_fishes_size_sticker/5943387-2-eng-US/ray_finned_fishes_size_sticker_full_2475.png 600w)
electric eel
SCIENTIFIC NAME:
Electrophorus electricus
![long slender swimming creature](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_electric_eel/5941779-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_electric_eel_full_495.png 495w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_electric_eel/5941779-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_electric_eel_full_990.png 990w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_electric_eel/5941779-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_electric_eel_full_1468.png 1468w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_electric_eel/5941779-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_electric_eel_full_1980.png 1980w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_electric_eel/5941779-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_electric_eel_full_2475.png 2475w)
North Atlantic swordfish
SCIENTIFIC NAME:
Xiphias gladius
![Slender fish with long nose](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_sailfish/5941799-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_sailfish_full_495.png 495w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_sailfish/5941799-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_sailfish_full_990.png 990w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_sailfish/5941799-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_sailfish_full_1468.png 1468w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_sailfish/5941799-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_sailfish_full_1980.png 1980w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_sailfish/5941799-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_sailfish_full_2475.png 2475w)
honeycomb cowfish
SCIENTIFIC NAME:
Acanthostracion polygonius
![Blue and yellow fish with dark spots](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_honeycomb_cowfish/5941787-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_honeycomb_cowfish_full_495.png 495w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_honeycomb_cowfish/5941787-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_honeycomb_cowfish_full_990.png 990w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_honeycomb_cowfish/5941787-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_honeycomb_cowfish_full_1468.png 1468w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_honeycomb_cowfish/5941787-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_honeycomb_cowfish_full_1980.png 1980w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_honeycomb_cowfish/5941787-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_honeycomb_cowfish_full_2475.png 2200w)
pacu
SCIENTIFIC NAME:
Piaractus mesopotamicus
![Squat silver fish](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/ray-finned-fishes/bony_fishes_pacu/5941795-2-eng-US/bony_fishes_pacu_full_495.png 495w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/ray-finned-fishes/bony_fishes_pacu/5941795-2-eng-US/bony_fishes_pacu_full_990.png 990w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/ray-finned-fishes/bony_fishes_pacu/5941795-2-eng-US/bony_fishes_pacu_full_1468.png 1060w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/ray-finned-fishes/bony_fishes_pacu/5941795-2-eng-US/bony_fishes_pacu_full_1980.png 1060w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/ray-finned-fishes/bony_fishes_pacu/5941795-2-eng-US/bony_fishes_pacu_full_2475.png 1060w)
red lionfish
SCIENTIFIC NAME:
Pterois volitans
![fish with long protrusions](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/ray-finned-fishes/bony_fishes_red_lionfish/5943056-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_red_lionfish_full_495.png 495w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/ray-finned-fishes/bony_fishes_red_lionfish/5943056-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_red_lionfish_full_990.png 990w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/ray-finned-fishes/bony_fishes_red_lionfish/5943056-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_red_lionfish_full_1468.png 1116w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/ray-finned-fishes/bony_fishes_red_lionfish/5943056-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_red_lionfish_full_1980.png 1116w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/ray-finned-fishes/bony_fishes_red_lionfish/5943056-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_red_lionfish_full_2475.png 1116w)
French angelfish
SCIENTIFIC NAME:
Pomacanthus paru
![Blue fish with yellow specks](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_french_angelfish/5941783-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_french_angelfish_full_495.png 495w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_french_angelfish/5941783-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_french_angelfish_full_990.png 990w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_french_angelfish/5941783-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_french_angelfish_full_1468.png 1468w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_french_angelfish/5941783-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_french_angelfish_full_1980.png 1980w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_french_angelfish/5941783-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_french_angelfish_full_2475.png 2000w)
Pacific seahorse
SCIENTIFIC NAME:
Hippocampus ingens
![Yellow seahorse with tail curled](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_pacific_seahorse/5941791-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_pacific_seahorse_full_495.png 269w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_pacific_seahorse/5941791-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_pacific_seahorse_full_990.png 538w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_pacific_seahorse/5941791-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_pacific_seahorse_full_1468.png 798w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_pacific_seahorse/5941791-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_pacific_seahorse_full_1980.png 814w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/tree-of-life/bony-fishes/bony_fishes_pacific_seahorse/5941791-1-eng-US/bony_fishes_pacific_seahorse_full_2475.png 814w)
Guess what?
About half of the animal species with backbones are fishes.
Image Credits:
Electric eel, © Brian Gratwicke/CC BY-NC 2.0; French angelfish, G. P. Schmahl, NOAA; honeycomb cowfish, © Kevin Bryant/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0; North Atlantic swordfish, M. Shanley/© AMNH;Pacific seahorse, © Trisha Fawver/CC BY-ND 2.0; pacu, © Ariel Rotondo/CC BY-NC; red lionfish, © Jens Petersen/CC BY 2.5.