Understanding Bony Fish: Types and Examples

* Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) - this group includes the vast majority of bony fishes, such as bass, trout, salmon, tuna, and minnows. Ray-finned fishes have bony fin rays that support their fins.

* Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fishes) - this group includes fishes such as the coelacanths and lungfishes. Lobe-finned fishes have fleshy, lobed fins, and some species have lungs that allow them to breathe air.

* Acanthodii (spiny sharks) - this group of extinct fishes lived during the Devonian period. Acanthodians had bony scales and spines, and are thought to be close relatives of the early ray-finned fishes.