Virtual Museum: Ray-finned Fishes

The ray-finned fishes have an arc of bone at the base of their fin that supports thin rays rather than the column of bone found in the lobe-finned fishes.

Crossopholis magnicaudatus paddlefish.

Order Acipenseriformes

Green River Formation, Wyoming?

Eocene Epoch

Black Hills Institute Museum, South Dakota

Lawnia taylorensis.

Order Palaeonisciformes, one of the most primitive groups of the ray-finned fishes

Leuders Formation, Baylor Co., TX

Permian Period

Black Hills Institute Museum, South Dakota

Life models of Platysomus sp.

Order Palaeonisciformes

Early Carboniferous to late Permian Periods

Museum of Ancient Life, Utah

Life models of Dorypterus sp.

Order Palaeonisciformes

Late Permian Period; Europe

Museum of Ancient Life, Utah

Life models of Aeduella sp.

Order Palaeonisciformes

Early Permian Period; Europe

Museum of Ancient Life, Utah

Paratarrasius hibbardi.

Order Tarrasiiformes (extinct)

Bear Gulch, Fergus Co., Montana

Carboniferous Period, Mississippian Epoch

Black Hills Institute Museum, South Dakota

Gyrodus sp.

Order Pycnodontiformes (extinct)

Germany

Late Jurassic Period, 145 Ma

Wyoming Dinosaur Center

Palaeobalistum goedeli drumfish.

Order Pycnodontiformes (extinct)

Lebanon

Late Cretaceous Period, 98 Ma

Museum of Ancient Life, Utah

Trewavasia carinatus.

Order Pycnodontiformes (extinct)

Lebanon

Late Cretaceous Period, Cenomanian Stage

Black Hills Institute Museum, South Dakota

Primitive ray-finned fishes, such as this gar, Lepisosteus simplex, tend to have thick scales and a slightly asymmetric tail.

Order Lepisosteiformes

Green River Formation, Wyoming?

Eocene Epoch

Black Hills Institute Museum, South Dakota

Atractosteus strausi gar.

Order Lepisosteiformes

Messel, Germany

Eocene Epoch

Black Hills Institute Museum, South Dakota

Life model of Acentrophorus sp.

Order Semionotiformes (extinct)

Permian to Triassic Periods; Europe

Museum of Ancient Life, Utah

Cyclurus kehreri bowfin. Bowfins are relatively primitive ray-finned fishes, with only a single surviving species

Order Amiiformes

Messel, Germany

Eocene Epoch

Black Hills Institute Museum, South Dakota

Amia sp. bowfin.

Florissant Formation, Colorado

Eocene Epoch, 35 Ma

Denver Museum of Science & Nature

The majority of the ray-finned fishes fall into the derived clade Teleostei. These fishes are characterized by smaller, thinner (cycloid) scales, a vertically-symmetric (homocercal) tail, and various features of the skull & jaws.

Pachyrhizodus caninus reconstructed skeleton.

Order Crossognathiformes (extinct)

Niobrara Chalk, Kansas

late Cretaceous Period, 70 Ma

Museum of Ancient Life, Utah

Xiphactinus audax reconstructed skeleton. This was one of the largest bony fishes ever, reaching up to 6 m long

Order Ichthyodectiformes (extinct)

Niobrara Chalk, Kansas

late Cretaceous Period, 70 Ma

Museum of Ancient Life, Utah

Xiphactinus audax fossil with prey in stomach.

Denver Museum of Science & Nature

Life model of Xiphactinus audax.

Order Ichthyodectiformes (extinct)

late Cretaceous Period, 68 Ma; Kansas

Dinosaur Resource Center, Colorado

Gillicus arcuatus was a large filter-feeding fish.

Order Ichthyodectiformes (extinct)

Niobrara Chalk, Gove Co., Kansas

late Cretaceous Period, 85 Ma

Denver Museum of Science & Nature

Cimolichthys nepaholica, reconstructed skeleton and fossil.

Order Aulopiformes

Niobrara Chalk, Kansas

late Cretaceous Period, 70 Ma

Dinosaur Resource Center, Woodland Park, CO

Reconstructed skeleton of Enchodus petrosus, the saber-toothed herring.

Order Aulopiformes

Niobrara Chalk, Lane Co., Kansas

late Cretaceous Period, 85 Ma

Dinosaur Resource Center, Woodland Park, CO

Eurypholis boissieri viper fish.

Order Aulopiformes

Lebanon

Late Cretaceous Period, Cenomanian Stage

Black Hills Institute Museum, South Dakota

Nematonotus longispinus.

Order Aulopiformes

Lebanon

Late Cretaceous Period, Cenomanian Stage

Black Hills Institute Museum, South Dakota

Apateopholis laniatus.

Order Aulopiformes

Lebanon

Late Cretaceous Period, Cenomanian Stage

Black Hills Institute Museum, South Dakota

Mene rhombea.

Order Carangiformes

Verona, Monte Bolca, Italy

Eocene Epoch

Black Hills Institute Museum, South Dakota

Belonostomus sp.

Order Aspidorhynchiformes (extinct)

Solnhofen Limestone, Germany

Late Jurassic Period

Black Hills Institute Museum, South Dakota

Triacanthus sp. triggerfish.

Order Tetraodontiformes

Marecchia Creek, Rimini, Italy

Pliocene Epoch

Black Hills Institute Museum, South Dakota

Priscacara serrata.

Order Perciformes

Green River Formation, Wyoming?

Eocene Epoch

Black Hills Institute Museum, South Dakota

Mioplosus labracoides eating a Diplomystus dentatus.

Order Perciformes

Green River Formation, Wyoming?

Eocene Epoch

Black Hills Institute Museum, South Dakota

Gosiutichthys parvus cannibalism.

Order Clupeiformes

Green River Formation, Wyoming?

Eocene Epoch

Black Hills Institute Museum, South Dakota

Life model of Knightia sp., a fresh-water herring.

Order Clupeiformes

Eocene Epoch, 50 Ma

Fossil Butte National Monument