Actinopteri is the sister group of Cladistia (bichirs) in the class Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish). Dating back to the Permian period, the Actinopteri comprise the Chondrostei (sturgeons and paddlefish), the Holostei (bowfins and gars), and the teleosts; in other words, all extant ray-finned fish other than the bichirs. In this clade the lungs have evolved into a swim bladder. Characters of Actinopteri include paired fin structure, a single dorsal fin, fulcra, a large median gular and numerous branchiostegals, ganoid scales, and a valvula cerebelli in the brain.

Classification

The following cladogram summarizes the evolutionary relationships of extant Actinopteri. Divergence time for each clade in mya are based on: