Osteichthyes Facts

There are over 25,000 species of Osteichthyes, or bony fish, in

the earth's waters. Most of them have a skeleton made of bone
that is much stiffer than cartilaginous fish, which have
skeletons made of cartilage, such as sharks. With such an
abundance of species, Osteichthyes are the largest group of
vertebrates in the world and the largest class of organisms
that live in the ocean. Osteichthyes account for about 96% of
all the fish in the sea.

Osteichthyes have a keen sense of smell, but unlike other

keen-smelling fish, they also have very good eyesight.
Osteichthyes eat a wide range of foods: some are herbivores
and some carnivores, and some can go long periods without
any kind of food at all. In fact, the freshwater eel can go up to
a year without food!

Osteichthyes Characteristics
There are exceptions, of course, but generally all Osteichthyes
have a variety of shared characteristics. Since bony fish have a
heavier skeleton than cartilaginous fish, they have a special
adaptation to keep them from sinking, known as a swim
bladder. A swim bladder is a gas-filled organ located under the
skeleton. The trapped gas helps keep the fish buoyant, very
much like how the air in a life jacket helps you float.

Osteichthyes also have an operculum, which is a bony

structure that covers the chambers near the gills on each side
of the fish. The operculum allows the fish to breathe without
swimming. They move the bone back and forth to pull and
push water past the gills, providing them with oxygen. Other
shared characteristics of Osteichthyes include skin with
mucous glands, dermal scales, paired fins, and jaws with teeth.