Members of this superorder are sometimes called ray-finned fishes for the characteristic sharp, bony rays in their fins; however this name is often given to the class Actinopterygii as a whole.

Both agree on the major composition of the superorder Acanthopterygii, but significant differences include the placement of the mugiliform mullets and atheriniform silversides at the base of the lineage in A, whereas in B, those groups are considered higher, percomorph taxa.

Several other trends in locomotion, feeding and predator protection identify and distinguish the fishes that are higher spiny-rayed and manifest growing change in the course of acanthopterygian phylogeny.

A significant thing to remember is that these are the revolutionary and different from the fishes today, exercising control over the deep, rich natural environment of the marine and a number of lake habitats.

[5] Beryciformes (alfonsinos; whalefishes) Trachichthyiformes (pinecone fishes & slimeheads) Holocentriformes (Soldier fishes & squirrel fishes) Ophidiiformes (cusk-eels) Batrachoidiformes (toadfishes) Scombroidei (tunas, mackerel) Syngnathiformes (seahorses) Kurtiformes (cardinalfishes; nurseryfishes) Gobiiformes (gobies) Synbranchiformes Anabantiformes Carangiformes (jacks) Istiophoriformes (billfish) Pleuronectiformes (flatfish) Cichliformes Mugiliformes Beloniformes Cyprinodontiformes Atheriniformes Gobiesociformes Blenniiformes Labridae (wrasses) Perciformes (perches, seabasses, sticklebacks, etc) Centrarchiformes (blackbasses, temperate perches) Pempheriformes (sweepers, banjofish)[6] Acanthuroidei (surgeonfishes), Leiognathidae (ponyfishes), Chaetodontidae (butterflyfishes) Siganidae (rabbitfishes), Scatophagidae (scats) Lophiiformes (anglerfishes) Tetraodontiformes (pufferfishes)