Class Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)

Domain: EucaryaKingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: Chordata Class Phenology

Orders of the Class Actinopterygii Discovered in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Order Common Name Photo Example Where? Phenology
Actinopterygii_orderRay-finned fish species(NA) HerePhenology
AtheriniformesSilversides HerePhenology
ClupeiformesShad and Herrings HerePhenology
CypriniformesMinnows and Suckers HerePhenology
CyprinodontiformesTopminnows and Livebearers HerePhenology
LepisosteiformesGars(NA) HerePhenology
PerciformesSpiny-rayed Perch-like Fishes HerePhenology
SalmoniformesTrout HerePhenology
ScorpaeniformesSculpins HerePhenology
SiluriformesCatfishes HerePhenology

Can't find the orders you are looking for? Note:
Orders on this list are only those contained in the ATBI database,
and do not neccessarily include all Park orders from historic park reports, literature,
or other sources that have not yet been entered in the Biodiversity Database.
Also note: where the order name ends with '_order', it means that the order
name has not yet been agreed upon by taxonomists for this group,
or that it was not identified to this level.

In Case You Didn't Know ...
The Actinopterygii encompass all but 2 species of fishes (exceptions being lampreys not yet entered into the ATBI database) that inhabit the Park. In fact, of all of the world's fishes, this class represents approximately 95% of the species in existance.
Actinopterygii species are fishes that are set apart by the presence of jaws, and fin rays that connect, via spines, to their internal skeleton.

Taxon References for Actinopterygii

Etnier, David A. and Wayne C. Starnes. 1993. The Fishes of Tennessee. University of Tennessee Press. Knoxville, Tennessee.
"The Angler's Guide to Tennessee Fish", January, 2012, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
Also see the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Fish Page ->


Click Critter Search to look up distributional info on any organism or grouping of organisms.