Neopterygii

Neopterygii; Temporal range: Late Permian – Recent
	Gar fish
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
(unranked):	Actinopteri
Subclass:	Neopterygii
Infraclasses
	Holostei; Teleostei; See text for orders.

Neopterygii is a group of fish. Neopterygii means "new fins".

There are only few changes during their evolution from the earlier actinopterygians. They appeared somewhere in the Late Permian, before the time of the dinosaurs. The Neopterygii is a very successful group of fishes, because they can move more rapidly than their ancestors. Their scales and skeletons began to lighten during their evolution, and their jaws became more powerful and efficient.

The following diagram explains their relationship to the teleosts. Almost all modern fish are teleosts.

Evolution and diversity

Neopterygii

Holostei

Neopterygii Media

Flussneunauge
Illustration by Duane Raver
Salamandra salamandra (white background)
Chinle fish Arganodus cropped cropped
Coelacanthflipped
Planche N° 105 du livre "Le règne animal distribué d'après son organisation" par Georges Cuvier (Tome 8), seconde édition de 1828, représentant : Polypterus senegalus
Atlantic Sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrhynchus. Scans of artwork commissioned by the Fish and Wildlife Service in the 1970's. Original art is kept at NCTC museum.

	Ginglymodi (gars and their fossil relatives)

	Halecomorphi (bowfin and its fossil relatives)

Teleostei

Classification

Order †Pholidopleuriformes
Order †Redfieldiiformes
Order †Platysiagiformes
Order †Polzbergiiformes
Order †Perleidiformes
Order †Louwoichthyiformes
Order †Peltopleuriformes
Order †Luganoiiformes
Order †Pycnodontiformes
Infraclass Holostei
- Clade Halecomorphi
  - Order †Parasemionotiformes
  - Order †Panxianichthyiformes
  - Order †Ionoscopiformes
  - Order Amiiformes, the bowfin
- Clade Ginglymodi
  - Order †?Dapediiformes
  - Order †Semionotiformes
  - Order Lepisosteiformes, the gars
Clade Teleosteomorpha
- Order †Prohaleciteiformes
- Order †Aspidorhynchiformes
- Order †Pachycormiformes
Infraclass Teleostei
- Order †?Araripichthyiformes
- Order †?Ligulelliiformes
- Order †?Tselfatiiformes
- Order †Pholidophoriformes
- Order †Dorsetichthyiformes
- Order †Leptolepidiformes
- Order †Crossognathiformes
- Order †Ichthyodectiformes
- Superorder Osteoglossomorpha
  - Order †Lycopteriformes
  - Order Osteoglossiformes, the bony-tongued fishes
  - Order Hiodontiformes, including the mooneye and goldeye
- Superorder Elopomorpha
  - Order Elopiformes, including the ladyfishes and tarpon
  - Order Albuliformes, the bonefishes
  - Order Notacanthiformes, including the halosaurs and spiny eels
  - Order Anguilliformes, the true eels
  - Order Saccopharyngiformes, including the gulper eel
- Superorder Clupeomorpha
  - Order †Ellimmichthyiformes
  - Order Clupeiformes, including herrings and anchovies
- Superorder Ostariophysi
  - Order †Sorbininardiformes
  - Order Gonorynchiformes, including the milkfishes
  - Order Cypriniformes, including barbs, carp, danios, goldfishes, loaches, minnows, rasboras
  - Order Characiformes, including characins, pencilfishes, hatchetfishes, piranhas, tetras.
  - Order Gymnotiformes, including electric eels and knifefishes
  - Order Siluriformes, the catfishes
- Superorder Lepidogalaxii
  - Order Lepidogalaxiiformes, the salamanderfish
- Superorder Protacanthopterygii
  - Order Argentiniformes, including the barreleyes and slickheads (formerly in Osmeriformes)
  - Order Salmoniformes, including salmon, Arctic char, and trout
  - Order Esociformes, the pikes and mudminnows
  - Order Galaxiiformes, the galaxiids
  - Order Osmeriformes, including the smelts
- Superorder Stenopterygii (may belong in Protacanthopterygii)
  - Order Ateleopodiformes, the jellynose fish
  - Order Stomiiformes, including the bristlemouths and marine hatchetfishes
- Superorder Cyclosquamata (may belong in Protacanthopterygii)
  - Order Aulopiformes, including the Bombay duck, tripod fish, and lancetfishes
- Superorder Scopelomorpha
  - Order Myctophiformes, including the lanternfishes
- Superorder Lampridiomorpha
  - Order Lampriformes, including the oarfish, opah and ribbonfishes
- Superorder Polymyxiomorpha
  - Order †Pattersonichthyiformes
  - Order †Ctenothrissiformes
  - Order Polymixiiformes, the beardfishes
- Superorder Paracanthopterygii
  - Order Percopsiformes, including the cavefishes and trout-perches
  - Order †Sphenocephaliformes
  - Order Batrachoidiformes, the toadfishes
  - Order Lophiiformes, including the anglerfishes
  - Order Gadiformes, including cods
  - Order Ophidiiformes, including the pearlfishes
- Superorder Acanthopterygii
  - Order Mugiliformes, the mullets
  - Order Atheriniformes, including silversides and rainbowfishes
  - Order Beloniformes, including the flying fishes
  - Order Cetomimiformes, the whalefishes
  - Order Cyprinodontiformes, including live-bearers, killifishes
  - Order Stephanoberyciformes, including the ridgeheads and gibberfishes
  - Order Beryciformes, including the fangtooths and pineconefishes
  - Order Zeiformes, including the dories
  - Order Gobiesociformes, the clingfishes
  - Order Gasterosteiformes including sticklebacks
  - Order Syngnathiformes, including the seahorses and pipefishes
  - Order Synbranchiformes, including the swamp eels
  - Order Tetraodontiformes, including the sunfish, filefishes and pufferfish
  - Order Pleuronectiformes, the flatfishes
  - Order Scorpaeniformes, including scorpionfishes and the sculpins
  - Order Perciformes 40% of all fish including anabantids, bass, cichlids, gobies, gouramis, mackerel, perches, scats, whiting, wrasses

References

Gardiner, B. G. (1993). "Osteichtythyes: basal actinopterygians". Fossil Record II.
Nelson, Joseph, S. (2016). Fishes of the World. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6.