teleost
Ray-finned swimmer
A teleost is a bony fish with a highly mobile jaw and symmetrical tail—the group comprising the vast majority of living fish species.
Salmon, tuna, goldfish, and eels are all teleosts.
The term appears mainly in scientific and technical contexts: Teleosts dominate both freshwater and marine ecosystems.
As an adjective, teleost describes features characteristic of this group.
Aquatic respiratory organs
- scalesPlates or weighing devices
- finsSwimming appendages
- operculumAnatomical lid structure
- skeletonInternal supportive framework
vertebrae · ribs · skull · spine · cartilage · bone · ossification · ray-finned
Finest taxonomic rank
- varietyState of being diverse
- rangeExtent of variation
- ray-finnedFish with skeletal fin supports
- cichlidsSpiny-finned freshwater fish family
salmonids · eels · herrings · catfish · carp · tuna · salmon · cod
Evolutionary relationships among organisms
- speciationFormation of distinct species
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
- ancestryFamily line of descent
- cladisticsClassification by common descent
divergence · paleontology · lineage · homologous · Cretaceous · radiation · derived · basal
Non-saline aquatic environment
- saltwaterOcean water, chemically speaking
- marineRelating to the sea
- reefUnderwater rock or coral formation
- oceanicOf the sea
stream · lake · pond · underwater · currents · aquarium · schooling · plankton
Aquatic eggs or generate
- oviparousReproducing through external eggs
- migrateMove to new region
- predatorOrganism that consumes others
- preyAnimal being hunted
camouflage · reproduction · larvae · fry · bioluminescence · buoyancy · respiration · metabolism
gills
Aquatic respiratory organs
skeleton · vertebrae · ribs · skull · spine · cartilage · bone · ossification · ray-finned · ectotherm
species
Finest taxonomic rank
- varietyState of being diverse
- rangeExtent of variation
- ray-finnedFish with skeletal fin supports
cichlids · salmonids · eels · herrings · catfish · carp · tuna · salmon · cod · anglerfish
phylogeny
Evolutionary relationships among organisms
- speciationFormation of distinct species
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
- ancestryFamily line of descent
cladistics · divergence · paleontology · lineage · homologous · Cretaceous · radiation · derived · basal · monophyletic
freshwater
Non-saline aquatic environment
- saltwaterOcean water, chemically speaking
- marineRelating to the sea
- reefUnderwater rock or coral formation
oceanic · stream · lake · pond · underwater · currents · aquarium · schooling · plankton · coral
spawn
Aquatic eggs or generate
- oviparousReproducing through external eggs
- migrateMove to new region
- predatorOrganism that consumes others
prey · camouflage · reproduction · larvae · fry · bioluminescence · buoyancy · respiration · metabolism · feeding