Category:Actinopterygii

Actinopterygii (/ˌæktɪˌnɒptəˈrɪdʒiaɪ/), or the ray-finned fishes, constitute a class or subclass of the bony fishes.

The ray-finned fishes are so called because their fins are webs of skin supported by bony or horny spines ("rays"), as opposed to the fleshy, lobed fins that characterize the class Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fish). These actinopterygian fin rays attach directly to the proximal or basal skeletal elements, the radials, which represent the link or connection between these fins and the internal skeleton (e.g., pelvic and pectoral girdles).