Actinopterygii

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/actinopterygii

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Actinopterygii
2. What are ray-finned fish and why are they called that?Ray-finned fish have fins that are supported by bony rays, like tiny umbrellas, which give them strong and flexible fins.
3. How many fish species are ray-finned fish?They make up about 99% of all known fish species and more than half of all vertebrate species.

Phylogenetic Radiation: The rapid diversification of a lineage into many new species filling various ecological niches.
Trophic Level: The position an organism occupies in a food chain, indicating its feeding role.
Anthropogenic Stressors: Environmental changes or impacts caused by human activities.
Benthic: Relating to or living on the bottom of a body of water.