Actinopteri
| Actinopteri | |
|---|---|
| Atlantic sturgeon (Chondrostei) | |
| Atlantic salmon (Neopterygii) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Clade: | Actinopteri Cope, 1871 |
| Subclasses | |
Actinopteri (/æktɪˈnɒptəraɪ/) is the sister group of Cladistia (bichirs) in the class Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish).
Dating back to the Permian period, the Actinopteri comprise the Chondrostei (sturgeons and paddlefish), the Holostei (bowfins and gars), and the teleosts; in other words, all extant ray-finned fish other than the bichirs.
In this clade the lungs have evolved into a swim bladder.
Characters of Actinopteri include paired fin structure, a single dorsal fin, fulcra, a large median gular and numerous branchiostegals, ganoid scales, and a valvula cerebelli in the brain.