Teleost

Teleosts (Superorder Teleostei) are the dominant group of ray-finned fishes, comprising over 34,000 species (approximately 50% of all vertebrate species). They are distinguished from other ray-finned fishes by a suite of derived characters: a fully homocercal caudal fin (vertebral column does not enter the fin), mobile premaxilla that can protrude the upper jaw, a primitive swim bladder, and a unique gill arch configuration. Teleosts have colonised virtually every aquatic habitat on Earth, from the deepest ocean trenches to high-altitude mountain streams, desert hot springs, and Antarctic waters.