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Osteichthyes
Osteichthyes (bony fish) Fish in which the internal skeleton is largely ossified, and which also have teeth, plates, or scales of dermal bone. Characteristic features are: the terminal mouth; homocercal tail; operculum covering the gills; usually many flat, bony scales embedded in the skin, with epidermis over them; and the presence of a swim bladder (although sometimes this has been lost in the course of later evolution). With more than 25 000 species it is the largest class of vertebrate animals. The Osteichthyes have a fossil history going back to the Lower Devonian; they include the Crossopterygii, the Dipnoi, the Chondrostei, the Holostei, and the Teleostei.
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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "Osteichthyes." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "Osteichthyes." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-Osteichthyes.html AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "Osteichthyes." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-Osteichthyes.html |
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Osteichthyes
Osteichthyes The class of vertebrates comprising the bony fishes – marine and freshwater fish with a bony skeleton. All have gills covered with a bony operculum, and a layer of thin overlapping bony scales covers the entire body surface. Bony fish have a swim bladder, which acts as a hydrostatic organ enabling the animal to remain suspended in the water at any depth. In some fish this bladder acts as a lung. See also Dipnoi; Teleostei. Compare Chondrichthyes.
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"Osteichthyes." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Osteichthyes." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-Osteichthyes.html "Osteichthyes." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-Osteichthyes.html |
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Osteichthyes
Osteichthyes The class that comprises the bony fish; with more than 25 000 species it is the largest class of vertebrate animals. Typically, bony fish have a bony skeleton, gill chambers covered by a gill cover, and usually a swim-bladder; there are usually many flat, bony scales embedded in the skin, with epidermis over them. The class comprises the Actinopterygii (all living jawed fish except the Dipneusti and the coelacanth). See also TELEOSTOMI.
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Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "Osteichthyes." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "Osteichthyes." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Osteichthyes.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "Osteichthyes." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Osteichthyes.html |
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