Protacanthopterygii
| Protacanthopterygii Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| Ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis: Osmeriformes) in Kawasaki (Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Cohort: | Euteleostei |
| Superorder: | Protacanthopterygii |
| Orders | |
|
Argentiniformes | |
Protacanthopterygii is a superorder of ray-finned fish. They inhabit both marine and freshwater habitats. They appear to have evolved in the Cretaceous or perhaps late Jurassic, originating probably roughly 150 million years ago; fossils of them and the closely related Otocephala are known from throughout the Cretaceous.