Actinopteri

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 minus the bichirs.

In this clade the lungs have evolved into a swim bladder.

Characters of Actinopteri: 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: