ray-finned
Most fish are
Ray-finned describes fish whose fins are supported by bony spines or rays rather than fleshy lobes.
Ray-finned fish make up the vast majority of living fish species—from goldfish to tuna to seahorses.
The term distinguishes them from lobe-finned fish like coelacanths, whose fleshy fins are considered ancestral to the limbs of land vertebrates.
Bony, ray-finned fish
- classificationSystematic grouping by traits
- ichthyologyScientific study of piscine life
- phylogenyEvolutionary relationships among organisms
- cladisticsClassification by common descent
Plates or weighing devices
- gillsAquatic respiratory organs
- swim-bladderFish buoyancy organ
- operculumAnatomical lid structure
- cycloidCurve from rolling wheel
Pink-fleshed migratory fish
- troutFreshwater game fish
- tunaLarge edible ocean fish
- bassDeep pitch or fish
- carpWhine about trivialities
perch · cod · herring · goldfish · zebrafish · catfish · eel · seahorse
Non-saline aquatic environment
- saltwaterOcean water, chemically speaking
- marineRelating to the sea
- oceanMassive saltwater body
- reefUnderwater rock or coral formation
pelagic · benthic · schooling · migratory · spawning · predatory · habitat · estuary
Formation of distinct species
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
- radiationEnergy propagation through space
- divergenceSeparation from common origin
- ancestryFamily line of descent
lineage · descent · homology · variation · ancestral · derived · primitive · advanced
Preserved ancient organism
- paleontologyStudy of ancient organisms
- cretaceousLast Mesozoic period
- petrifiedSolidified or fear-paralyzed
- sedimentaryFormed from deposited material
mineralization · imprint · preservation · excavation · specimen · extinct · ancient · stratigraphy
teleost
Bony, ray-finned fish
- classificationSystematic grouping by traits
- ichthyologyScientific study of piscine life
- phylogenyEvolutionary relationships among organisms
scales
Plates or weighing devices
- gillsAquatic respiratory organs
- swim-bladderFish buoyancy organ
- operculumAnatomical lid structure
salmon
Pink-fleshed migratory fish
carp · perch · cod · herring · goldfish · zebrafish · catfish · eel · seahorse · flounder
freshwater
Non-saline aquatic environment
reef · pelagic · benthic · schooling · migratory · spawning · predatory · habitat · estuary · riverine
speciation
Formation of distinct species
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
- radiationEnergy propagation through space
- divergenceSeparation from common origin
ancestry · lineage · descent · homology · variation · ancestral · derived · primitive · advanced · diversification
fossil
Preserved ancient organism
- paleontologyStudy of ancient organisms
- cretaceousLast Mesozoic period
- petrifiedSolidified or fear-paralyzed
sedimentary · mineralization · imprint · preservation · excavation · specimen · extinct · ancient · stratigraphy · paleobiology