| Perciformes | Pufferfish and Triggerfish | Flatfish | Sea Moths |
| Flying Gurnards | Scorpionfish and Gurnards | Swamp Eels | Snakeshead |
| Seahorse and Stickleback | John Dorys | Squirrelfish | Opah and Ribbonfish |
| Flying Fish | Pollack and Cod | Anglerfish | Dragonets |
| Toadfish | Pirate Perch | Lanternfish | Catfish |
| Carp and Loaches | Milkfish | Salmon and Trout | Elephant-trunk Fish |
| Arapaima | Herring and Anchovies | Eel | Spiny Eel |
| Tarpon | Bowfin and Garpike | Paddlefish and Sturgeon | Bichir and Redfish |
| South American Lungfish | Australian Lungfish | Coelacanths |
Fish are all members of the phylum Chordata, sub-phylum Vertebrata. Fish
are generally spindle-shaped, oval in section, and flattened either sideways
or dorsal-ventrally. The skin is covered in protective scales, with some
exceptions (lampreys, ocean sunfish). All fins have fins of some sort, all the
size, number, and shape vary. Fish breathe through gills, and only a very
few have actual lungs. Most fish have a special organ known as a
swimbladder that prevents them from sinking, and, in some cases, aids in
respiration.
The common name "fish" refers to four different classes, depending on the
person classifying them (there are numerous different ways to classify fish).
The class Osteichthyes is made up of 26000 species of bony fish. These are
all the common fish and eels found in both salt and/or fresh water. They
fertilize their eggs in one of two ways: externally (the male fertilizes the eggs
after they have been laid), or internally. There are generally two types of
eggs: the kind that float (pelagic) or the kind that sink.
There are about 34 orders in two subclasses:
Subclass Sarcopterygii (fleshy-finned fish)
Subclass Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish)
Crossopterygii (coelacanth)
Ceratodiformes (Australian lungfish)
Lepidosireniformes (South American lungfish)
Polypteriformes (bichir, redfish)
Acipensiformes (paddlefish, sturgeon)
Amiiformes (bowfin, garpike)
Elopiformes (tarpon, tenpounder)
Anguilliformes (eel)
Notacanthiformes (spiny eel)
Clupeiformes (herring, anchovy)
Osteoglossiformes (arapaima)
Mormyriformes (elephant-trunk fish)
Salmoniformes (salmon, trout)
Gonorhynchiformes (milkfish)
Cypriniformes (carp, barbs, loach)
Siluriformes (catfish)
Myctophiformes (lantern fish, Bombay duck)
Percopsiformes (pirate perch)
Batrachoidiformes (toadfish)
Gobiesociformes (clingfish, dragonets)
Lophiiformes (anglerfish)
Gadiformes (cod, pollack)
Atheriniformes (flying fish)
Lampridiformes (opah, ribbonfish)
Beryciformes (squirrelfish)
Zeiformes (John Dory)
Gasterosteiformes (seahorse, stickleback)
Channiformes (snakeshead)
Synbranchiformes (swamp eels)
Scorpaeniformes (scorpionfish, gurnard)
Dactylopteriformes (flying gurnard)
Pegasiformes (sea-moth)
Pleuronectiformes (flatfish)
Tetraodontiformes (triggerfish, ocean sunfish, pufferfish)
Perciformes (perch, cichlid, gobies, wrasse, tuna, swordfish, ice fish)
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