All Types of Fishes: A Comprehensive Guide
Fish are the most diverse group of vertebrates, with over 33,000 different species. They can be found in all types of aquatic habitats, from freshwater lakes and rivers to saltwater oceans and seas. Fish come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and they play an important role in the ecosystems they inhabit.
This article will provide a comprehensive overview of all types of fishes, organized by their taxonomic classification.
Class Agnatha (jawless fish)
Jawless fish are the oldest and least diverse group of fishes. They lack jaws and paired fins, and they have a circular mouth. Jawless fish include:
- Hagfish
- Lampreys
Class Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish)
Cartilaginous fish have skeletons made of cartilage instead of bone. They have jaws and paired fins, and they often have sharp teeth. Cartilaginous fish include:
- Sharks
- Rays
- Skates
- Chimaeras
Class Osteichthyes (bony fish)
Bony fish have skeletons made of bone. They have jaws and paired fins, and they come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Bony fish include:
- Ray-finned fishes
- Lobe-finned fishes
Ray-finned fishes
Ray-finned fishes are the most diverse group of fishes, with over 30,000 different species. They are characterized by their fan-shaped fins, which are supported by rays. Ray-finned fishes include:
- Arowana
- Bass
- Barracuda
- Carp
- Catfish
- Cichlids
- Cod
- Eels
- Flounders
- Goldfish
- Gouramis
- Guppies
- Herring
- Mackerel
- Perch
- Salmon
- Seahorses
- Sharksuckers
- Tetras
- Tuna
Lobe-finned fishes
Lobe-finned fishes are a small group of fishes with fleshy fins that are supported by bones. They are the closest living relatives of tetrapods (amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals). Lobe-finned fishes include:
- Lungfish
- Coelacanths
Other types of fishes
In addition to the major taxonomic groups listed above, there are a number of other types of fishes, including:
- Bonytongues
- Gars
- Knifefishes
- Mormyrids
- Paddlefishes
- Polypterids
- Sturgeons
Conclusion
Fish are an incredibly diverse group of animals, and this article has only provided a brief overview of the many different types of fishes that exist. If you are interested in learning more about fish, there are many resources available online and in libraries.
How many types of fishes?
Fish biologists have described more than 30,000 species of fish in the world. Visit NPSpecies to see what species of fish are found in national parks. Scientists classify fish into two major groups: the jawless (Agnatha) fishes and the jawed (Gnathastomata) fishes.
What are the four types of fish?
The four groups of fishes are: Jawless Fishes (2 classes), Cartilaginous Fishes, and Bony Fishes. Jawless fish have round mouths. Many are parasite fish and will attach to a host fish to feed.
What are the 3 main groups of fish?
Nelson, among others. Fishes are typically divided into three groups: superclass Agnatha (jawless fishes), class Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fishes), and superclass Osteichthyes (bony fishes). The latter two groups are included within the infraphylum Gnathostomata, a category containing all jawed vertebrates.
What are the 7 classifications of a fish?
What are the 7 levels of classification for a fish? The 7 levels are kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species, where the kingdom is the largest and most general. In contrast, species is the smallest category with the most common traits.
What is the main type of fish?
Instead, there are 3 main classes, groups, or types of fish: bony fish (Osteichthyes), jawless fish (Agnatha), and cartilaginous fish (Chondrichthyes). Fish are the most diverse group among vertebrates, with over 33,000 different types of fish species.
Are octopus a fish?
An octopus is neither a fish nor a mammal. Instead, octopuses are cephalopods related to squid and cuttlefish. The octopus is classified as one branch of mollusks.
How many fish are in a group?
Schools of fish wouldn’t fit in your school classroom, they can have hundreds and thousands of members in one school! The size of a shoal of fish can depend on how many aquatic creatures there are in their own schools, but a shoal can be as little as six fish. Most fish in aquariums or captivity form shoals.
What are the 6 different body types of different fish?
Based on these two descriptors, the following six body shape categories reflecting the most striking feature (either lateral or cross-sectional): fusiform (or: normal), elongated, eel-like, flat, short and/or deep and compressiform (Figure 3).