Class

Common name: Ray-finned Fishes

Scientific name: Actinopterygii Klein, 1885

Actinopterygii, commonly known as ray-finned fishes, represent the largest class of vertebrates, encompassing over 30,000 species. This diverse group includes familiar species such as goldfish, tuna, and clownfish, and they can be found in a wide range of aquatic environments, from freshwater rivers and lakes to the vast expanses of the ocean. The defining characteristic of ray-finned fishes is their fins, which are supported by bony spines or "rays," as opposed to the fleshy, lobed fins seen in their counterparts, the lobe-finned fishes.

Ray-finned fishes exhibit a remarkable array of shapes, sizes, and colors, making them a popular choice for aquarium enthusiasts. From the vibrant hues of reef-dwelling species like the Mandarin fish to the sleek, streamlined bodies of open-water species like mackerels, these fishes offer endless fascination for hobbyists. Many species have adapted to specific ecological niches, leading to unique behaviors and feeding strategies. For example, some species are herbivorous, grazing on algae and plant matter, while others are carnivorous, preying on smaller fish and invertebrates.

In the aquarium setting, ray-finned fishes require careful attention to water quality, temperature, and diet to thrive. It's important for hobbyists to research the specific needs of each species, as they can vary significantly. Some species may require specialized care, such as those that are sensitive to changes in water parameters or those that have specific dietary requirements. Additionally, understanding the social behavior of these fishes, such as their compatibility with other species and their territorial nature, is crucial for maintaining a harmonious aquarium environment.

Scientifically, Actinopterygii are of great interest due to their successes and adaptability. They have been around for more than 400 million years and come in various adaptations that have allowed them to inhabit nearly every aquatic habitat on Earth. Their biological history provides valuable insights into vertebrate biology and the development of complex ecosystems.

  1. Cockatoo Waspfish (Ablabys taenianotus)
    Common name: Cockatoo Waspfish
    Scientific name: Ablabys taenianotus
  2. Common name: Hawaiian Sergeant
    Scientific name: Abudefduf abdominalis
  3. Common name: Bengal Sergeant
    Scientific name: Abudefduf bengalensis
  4. Common name: Galapagos Sergeant Major
    Scientific name: Abudefduf conformis
  5. Common name: African Sergeant
    Scientific name: Abudefduf hoefleri
  6. Canary Damsel (Abudefduf luridus) in the sea
    Common name: Canary Damsel
    Scientific name: Abudefduf luridus
  7. Common name: Natal Sergeant
    Scientific name: Abudefduf natalensis
  8. Aquarium fish - Sergeant Major or Píntano - Abudefduf saxatilis
    Common name: Sergeant Major
    Scientific name: Abudefduf saxatilis
  9. The Scissortail Sergeant or Striptailed Damselfish, Abudefduf sexfasciatus
    Common name: Scissortail Sergeant
    Scientific name: Abudefduf sexfasciatus
  10. Common name: Blackspot Sergeant
    Scientific name: Abudefduf sordidus
  11. Common name: False-eye Sergeant
    Scientific name: Abudefduf sparoides
  12. Common name: Night Sergeant
    Scientific name: Abudefduf taurus
  13. オヤビッチャ - Indo-Pacific Sergeant (Abudefduf vaigiensis)
    Common name: Indo-Pacific Sergeant
    Scientific name: Abudefduf vaigiensis
  14. Common name: Barnacle Blenny
    Scientific name: Acanthemblemaria macrospilus
  15. Common name: Indian Bandfish
    Scientific name: Acanthocepola indica
  16. Spiny Chromis in aquarium
    Common name: Spiny Chromis
    Scientific name: Acanthochromis polyacanthus
  17. Common name: Island Cowfish
    Scientific name: Acanthostracion notacanthus
  18. Caribbean coral garden, Honeycomb Cowfish (Acanthostracion polygonius)
    Common name: Honeycomb Cowfish
    Scientific name: Acanthostracion polygonius
  19. Scrawled Cowfish
    Common name: Scrawled Cowfish
    Scientific name: Acanthostracion quadricornis
  20. Achilles Tang (Acanthurus achilles)
    Common name: Achilles Tang
    Scientific name: Acanthurus achilles
  21. Whitefin Surgeonfish (Acanthurus albipectoralis)
    Common name: Whitefin Surgeonfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus albipectoralis
  22. An Ocean Surgeonfish (Acanthurus bahianus) in Cozumel, Mexico
    Common name: Ocean Surgeonfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus bahianus
  23. Black-spot Surgeonfish (Acanthurus bariene)
    Common name: Black-spot Surgeonfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus bariene
  24. Acanthurus blochii (Ringtail Surgeonfish) swims in the aquarium
    Common name: Ringtail Surgeonfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus blochii
  25. Doctorfish (Acanthurus chirurgus)
    Common name: Doctorfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus chirurgus
  26. Blue Tang (Acanthurus coeruleus), a surgeonfish found in the Atlantic Ocean
    Common name: Blue Tang
    Scientific name: Acanthurus coeruleus
  27. Acanthurus dussumieri
    Common name: Eyestripe Surgeonfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus dussumieri
  28. Fowler's Surgeonfish (Acanthurus fowleri) swimming next to a large school of Smoothtail Trevallies (Selaroides leptalopsis), Bali Indonesia
    Common name: Fowler's Surgeonfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus fowleri
  29. Black Surgeonfish (Acanthurus gahhm) swimming in the blue sea water
    Common name: Black Surgeonfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus gahhm
  30. Closeup shot of Whitespotted Surgeonfish (Acanthurus guttatus)
    Common name: Whitespotted Surgeonfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus guttatus
  31. Powder Brown Tang (Acanthurus japonicus)
    Common name: Powder Brown Tang
    Scientific name: Acanthurus japonicus
  32. Common name: Pale-lipped Surgeonfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus leucocheilus
  33. Common name: Whitebar Surgeonfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus leucopareius
  34. Acanthurus leucosternon
    Common name: Powder Blue Tang
    Scientific name: Acanthurus leucosternon
  35. Lined Surgeonfish (Acanthurus lineatus) with its blue and yellow lines
    Common name: Lined Surgeonfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus lineatus
  36. Spotted-face or White-freckled Surgeonfish (Acanthurus maculiceps)
    Common name: Spotted-face Surgeonfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus maculiceps
  37. Underwater shot of Acanthurus mata
    Common name: Elongate Surgeonfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus mata
  38. Common name: Monrovia Surgeonfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus monroviae
  39. Whitecheek Surgeonfish
    Common name: Whitecheek Surgeonfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus nigricans
  40. Epaulette Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigricauda)
    Common name: Epaulette Surgeonfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus nigricauda
  41. A Brown Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus) in the Red Sea, Egypt
    Common name: Brown Surgeonfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus nigrofuscus
  42. Common name: Bluelined Surgeonfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus nigroris
  43. Common name: Bluelined Surgeonfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus nubilus
  44. Orangeband Surgeonfish (Acanthurus olivaceus)
    Common name: Orange Shoulder Tang
    Scientific name: Acanthurus olivaceus
  45. Black-barred Surgeonfish (Acanthurus polyzona) on black background
    Common name: Black-barred Surgeonfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus polyzona
  46. Beautiful bright orange fish in the aquarium, Chocolate Surgeonfish (Acanthurus pyroferus)
    Common name: Chocolate Tang
    Scientific name: Acanthurus pyroferus
  47. Close-up view of a Sohal Tang (Acanthurus sohal)
    Common name: Sohal Tang
    Scientific name: Acanthurus sohal
  48. Acanthurus tennenti
    Common name: Doubleband Surgeonfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus tennentii
  49. Thompson's Surgeonfish (Acanthurus thompsoni)
    Common name: Thompson's Surgeonfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus thompsoni
  50. Convict Surgeonfish
    Common name: Convict Tang
    Scientific name: Acanthurus triostegus
  51. Juvenile Indian Ocean Mimic Surgeonfish (Acanthurus tristis), mimicking Centropyge eibli
    Common name: Indian Ocean Mimic Surgeonfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus tristis
  52. Yellowfin Surgeonfish (Acanthurus xanthopterus)
    Common name: Yellowfin Surgeonfish
    Scientific name: Acanthurus xanthopterus
  53. Bristle-tail Filefish (Acreichthys tomentosus)
    Common name: Bristle-tail Filefish
    Scientific name: Acreichthys tomentosus
  54. Razorfish Aeoliscus strigatus in blue water in oceanarium
    Common name: Speckled shrimpfish
    Scientific name: Aeoliscus punctulatus
  55. Coral shrimpfish (Aeoliscus strigatus)
    Common name: Razorfish
    Scientific name: Aeoliscus strigatus
  56. Redmouth grouper
    Common name: Red-flushed rock-cod
    Scientific name: Aethaloperca rogaa
  57. Common name: Robust cusk
    Scientific name: Alionematichthys riukiuensis
  58. Atlantic wreckfish (Polyprion americanus).
    Common name: Cherna
    Scientific name: Alphestes afer
  59. Aluterus scriptus, scrawled filefish
    Common name: scrawled filefish
    Scientific name: Aluterus scriptus
  60. Common name: Twospot hawkfish
    Scientific name: Amblycirrhitus bimacula
  61. Redspotted Hawkfish on the Reef
    Common name: Grannyfish
    Scientific name: Amblycirrhitus pinos
  62. Arcfin Shrimpgoby Amblyeleotris arcupinna
    Common name: Horse-shoe shrimp-goby
    Scientific name: Amblyeleotris arcupinna
  63. Close up of Pinkbar goby (Amblyeleotris aurora)
    Common name: Pinkbar goby
    Scientific name: Amblyeleotris aurora
  64. Diagonal Shrimp-Goby Amblyeleotris diagonalis
    Common name: Diagonal shrimp-goby
    Scientific name: Amblyeleotris diagonalis
  65. Common name: Shoulder-spot shrimp-goby
    Scientific name: Amblyeleotris downingi
  66. red banded shrimpgoby
    Common name: Red-barred shrimp-goby
    Scientific name: Amblyeleotris fasciata
  67. giant shrimp-goby amblyeleotris fontanesii
    Common name: Giant shrimp-goby
    Scientific name: Amblyeleotris fontanesii
  68. Orange Spotted Goby in Aquarium
    Common name: Spotted prawn-goby
    Scientific name: Amblyeleotris guttata
  69. Masked Shrimp-Goby Amblyeleotris gymnocephala
    Common name: Barehead goby
    Scientific name: Amblyeleotris gymnocephala
  70. Common name: Harrison's Shrimp Goby
    Scientific name: Amblyeleotris harrisorum
  71. Wide-barred Shrimpgoby Amblyeleotris latifasciata
    Common name: Wide-barred shrimpgody
    Scientific name: Amblyeleotris latifasciata
  72. Common name: Neumann's Shrimp Goby
    Scientific name: Amblyeleotris neumanni
  73. Common name: New Caledonia Shrimp Goby
    Scientific name: Amblyeleotris novaecaledoniae
  74. ミナミダテハゼ
    Common name: Redspotted shrimpgoby
    Scientific name: Amblyeleotris ogasawarensis
  75. Broad-banded shrimp-goby Amblyeleotris periophthalma
    Common name: Periophthalma prawn-goby
    Scientific name: Amblyeleotris periophthalma
  76. Randalls Partner Grundel (Amblyeleotris randalli)
    Common name: Randall's prawn-goby
    Scientific name: Amblyeleotris randalli
  77. Common name: Volcano shrimpgoby
    Scientific name: Amblyeleotris rhyax
  78. Redmargin Shrimpgoby Amblyeleotris rubrimarginata
    Common name: Redmargin shrimpgoby
    Scientific name: Amblyeleotris rubrimarginata
  79. Steinitz Prawn-Goby (Amblyeleotris steinitzi)
    Common name: Steinitz' goby
    Scientific name: Amblyeleotris steinitzi
  80. Magnus' shrimp goby
    Common name: Magnus' goby
    Scientific name: Amblyeleotris sungami
  81. Common name: Triplespot shrimpgoby
    Scientific name: Amblyeleotris triguttata
  82. Burgundy Shrimp-Goby Amblyeleotris wheeleri
    Common name: Gorgeous prawn-goby
    Scientific name: Amblyeleotris wheeleri
  83. Flag tail Goby,Amblyeleotris yanoi, and Randall s Shrimp, Alpheus randalli Sulawesi, Indonesia
    Common name: Flag-tail shrimp-goby
    Scientific name: Amblyeleotris yanoi
  84. Amblyglyphidodon aureus, golden damselfish
    Common name: Golden damsel
    Scientific name: Amblyglyphidodon aureus
  85. Common name: Green sergeant
    Scientific name: Amblyglyphidodon batunai
  86. 岩場を泳ぐクラカオスズメダイ(Amblyglyphidodon curacao)
    Common name: clouded damselfish
    Scientific name: Amblyglyphidodon curacao
  87. Yellow-side Damselfish (Amblyglyphidodon flavilatus) closeup. Small silver fish with yellow on the side of the body.
    Common name: Yellowfin damsel
    Scientific name: Amblyglyphidodon flavilatus
  88. Damsel-Fish in red sea, amblyglyphidodon leucogaster
    Common name: White-belly damsel
    Scientific name: Amblyglyphidodon leucogaster
  89. Blackback butterflyfish (Chaetodon melannotus) near in the ocean water. School of tropical fish with black, yellow and white stripes in Red Sea, Egypt.
    Common name: Blackback Butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Amblyglyphidodon melanopterus
  90. Juvenile threespot damselfish and star coral, Bonaire.
    Common name: Orbicular damsel
    Scientific name: Amblyglyphidodon orbicularis
  91. Closeup of Ternate damselfish on background of hairy mushroom corals, Amblyglyphidodon ternatensis
    Common name: Ternate damsel
    Scientific name: Amblyglyphidodon ternatensis
  92. A Tailspoy Goby (Amblygobius albimaculatus) in the Red Sea, Egypt
    Common name: Whitelined goby
    Scientific name: Amblygobius albimaculatus
  93. Common name: Bynoe goby
    Scientific name: Amblygobius bynoensis
  94. Pink-lined goby Amblygobius decussatus
    Common name: Pink-lined goby
    Scientific name: Amblygobius decussatus
  95. False sleeper goby (Amblygobius nocturnus)
    Common name: Nocturn goby
    Scientific name: Amblygobius nocturnus
  96. Amblygobius phalaena - Banded goby
    Common name: Banded goby
    Scientific name: Amblygobius phalaena
  97. Half-banded goby
    Common name: Half-barred goby
    Scientific name: Amblygobius semicinctus
  98. Sphynx Goby Amblygobius sphynx
    Common name: Sphynx goby
    Scientific name: Amblygobius sphynx
  99. Amblypomacentrus breviceps fish near sea bottom
    Common name: Black-banded demoiselle
    Scientific name: Amblypomacentrus breviceps
  100. Lord Howe Island Butterflyfish
    Common name: Lord Howe Island butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Amphichaetodon howensis
  101. Common name: Narrow-barred butterflyfish
    Scientific name: Amphichaetodon melbae
  102. Skunk Anemonefish (Amphiprion akallopisos) in a sea anemone
    Common name: Skunk Clownfish
    Scientific name: Amphiprion akallopisos
  103. Barrier Reef anemonefish (Amphiprion akindynos)
    Common name: Barrier Reef Anemonefish
    Scientific name: Amphiprion akindynos
  104. Allard's Clownfish (Amphiprion allardi) with his anemone in the background
    Common name: Allard's Clownfish
    Scientific name: Amphiprion allardi
  105. Two-banded Clownfish (Amphiprion bicinctus) in the Red Sea, Egypt
    Common name: Two-banded Clownfish
    Scientific name: Amphiprion bicinctus
  106. Chagos Clownfish in sea anemone
    Common name: Chagos Clownfish
    Scientific name: Amphiprion chagosensis
  107. Mauritian Clownfish (Amphiprion chrysogaster)
    Common name: Mauritian Clownfish
    Scientific name: Amphiprion chrysogaster
  108. Orange-fin Anemonefish (Amphiprion chrysopterus)
    Common name: Orange-fin Anemonefish
    Scientific name: Amphiprion chrysopterus
  109. Clarkii Clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii)
    Common name: Clarkii Clownfish
    Scientific name: Amphiprion clarkii
  110. Red Saddleback Anemonefish (Amphiprion ephippium)
    Common name: Red Saddleback Anemonefish
    Scientific name: Amphiprion ephippium
  111. Tomato Clownfish (Amphiprion frenatus)
    Common name: Tomato Clownfish
    Scientific name: Amphiprion frenatus
  112. Seychelles Anemonefish (Amphiprion fuscocaudatus) snuggles in its protective anemone
    Common name: Seychelles Anemonefish
    Scientific name: Amphiprion fuscocaudatus
  113. Wideband Anemonefish (Amphiprion latezonatus)
    Common name: Wideband Anemonefish
    Scientific name: Amphiprion latezonatus
  114. Common name: Madagascar Anemonefish
    Scientific name: Amphiprion latifasciatus
  115. Whitebonnet Anemonefish (Amphiprion leucokranos) swimming in front of anemone in Papua New Guinea coral reef
    Common name: Whitebonnet Anemonefish
    Scientific name: Amphiprion leucokranos
  116. Common name: Whitesnout Anemonefish
    Scientific name: Amphiprion mccullochi
  117. Cinnamon Clownfish (Amphiprion melanopus)
    Common name: Cinnamon Clownfish
    Scientific name: Amphiprion melanopus
  118. Maldives Anemonefish (Amphiprion nigripes) above sea anemone
    Common name: Blackfinned Clownfish
    Scientific name: Amphiprion nigripes
  119. Ocellaris Clownfish by the purple mantle of its anemone host
    Common name: Ocellaris Clownfish
    Scientific name: Amphiprion ocellaris
  120. Oman Anemonefish (Amphiprion omanensis)
    Common name: Oman Anemonefish
    Scientific name: Amphiprion omanensis