Osteichthyes, known as the bony fish, are a taxonomic class (or superclass) of fish and the largest class of vertebrates in existence today.
The Osteichthyes include the ray-finned fish (subclass or class Actinopterygii) and lobe finned fish (subclass or class Sarcopterygii).
Within the Osteichthyes, two extant subclasses (or classes) are generally recognized: the Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fish) and the Actinopterygii (ray-finned or spiny-finned fish).
The members of Osteichthyes represent an extraordinary diversity of forms, including the "living fossil" coelacanths, long "sea-serpent" oarfish, tiny cichlids, whiskered catfish, colorful clownfish, voracious piranhas, unique seahorses, and so forth.