Rays

Rays are close relatives of the sharks but they have significantly modified body shapes. Some are bat-like (the Batoids). Some are torpedo shaped (the Torpediniformes). This group includes the electric ray which can stun prey with an electric shock.

Bony Fish

this is the largest grouping and includes most of the important types that are fished for food. Given the name, you will probably have guessed that the main characteristic is that they have a bony skeleton!

Sturgeons and Paddlefishes

The Paddle fishes are an ancient group of fish. The American Paddlefish is sometimes called a ‘Spoonbill’ because of its distinctive mouth. It is a freshwater fish found mostly in the Mississippi and associated rivers and feeds by filtering zooplankton (tiny aquatic animals) from the water. This animal can be big at up to 65 kilograms.

Jawless Fish

some very primitive kinds of fish- the Hagfish and Lampreys- still exist from the time before animals evolved jaws.

Reedfishes and Bichirs

Birhcirs are unusual fish that are popular pets for aquarium owners. In the wild, they are mostly found in rivers in Africa. They have simple lungs and can cope with water where there is not much dissolved oxygen (such as slow flowing, hot rivers or warm ponds).

Gars and Bowfins

Bowfins are found in the Great Lakes and are another ancient order of fish. They are more like modern fish than most other primitive species, though. They rear their young and they have scales rather than bony plates. More here:

The Teleostei

Most fish living today (well over ninety percent) belong to this group.

One of the chief characteristics of the Teleostei is that the fish can move their jaws forward (as well as up and down). If you ever watch a goldfish feeding you will understand what a big advantage this is. The jaws of a Teleost are capable of very precise movement and this helps locate and secure tricky foods.

Sharks

Sharks are a varied group of fish that evolved well before the Teleosti, described above. They are mostly predators, although, some, like the huge whale shark, are filter feeders.

The popular image of sharks as dangerous killers is at least partly true. White Tip sharks are deep ocean dwellers that will attack anyone they find in the water. Great White Sharks will occassionally attack surfers and swimmers close to shore.

Here is a list of other fish! :

A

Anemonefishes
Angelfishes
Anglerfishes
Anthias
Aphyonids
Archerfishes
Australian freshwater fishes
Australian Salmons

B

Bandfishes
Bannerfishes
Barracudas
Barracudinas
Barramundi and Glassfishes
Basslets
Batfishes
Beaked Salmons, Beaked Sandfishes
Beardfishes
Bigeyes
Bigscales
Billfishes (Marlins, Sailfish, Swordfishes etc)
Blennies
Blobfishes
Bonnetmouths, Rubyfishes
Boarfishes
Bony Tongues
Boxfishes
Breams, Snapper, Tarwhine etc
Bullseyes
Butterflyfishes

C

Cales and Weed-whitings
Cardinalfishes
Carps, minnows, etc
Catfishes
Chimaeras and allies
Clingfishes
Cobia
Cods
Coelacanth
Coffinfishes
Conger Eels
Coral Snappers
Coral Trouts
Cuskeels, Lings

D

Damselfishes
Dartfishes
Deepsea fishes
Dogfishes
Dolphinfishes
Dories
Dottybacks, Comets, Hulafishes etc
Dragonfishes
Dragonets and Stinkfishes
Driftfishes

E

Eels
Emperors

F

Fangtooths
Fatheads
Flagtails
Flatfishes (Soles, Flounders etc)
Flatheads
Flutemouths
Flyingfishes
Freshwater Blackfishes
Freshwater Cods, Basses
Frogfishes
Fusiliers

G

Galaxids
Garfishes
Ghost Pipefishes
Goatfishes
Gobies
Goosefishes
Gouramies
Grenadiers
Grinners
Grubfishes and Weavers
Grunters and Trumpeters
Gudgeons
Gulper Eel
Gurnards
Gurnard Perches

H

Hagfishes
Hakes
Halosaurs
Handfishes
Hardyheads, Rainbowfishes, etc
Hawkfishes
Herrings
Hulafishes

I

Infantfishes

J

Jawfishes
Jellynoses
Jobfishes

K

Kelpfishes
Knifefishes
Knifejaw

L

Lancetfishes
Lanternfishes
Leatherjackets
Lightfishes
Lizardfishes
Loaches
Longfin Escolars
Long-finned Pike
Longtoms
Loosejaws
Luderick, Bluefish and Drummers
Lungfishes
Louvar

M

Mackerels, Tunas, Gemfish, Escolars etc
Mados, Sweeps and Stripy
Manefishes
Marlins
Medusafishes
Monocle Breams
Moorish Idol
Moray Eels
Morid Cods, Moras, Beardies
Morwongs
Mullets
Mulloway and Jewfish

N

Nannygais, Alfonsinos
Needlefishes
New Lanternfishes

O

Oarfishes, Bandfishes, Ribbonfishes, Opahs
Old Wife
Omosudid
Orbicular Velvetfishes, Coral Crouchers
Oreos

P

Parrotfishes
Perches
Pike eels
Pineapplefishes
Pipefishes and Pipehorses
Pomfrets and Pomfreds
Ponyfishes
Prowfishes
Porcupinefishes
Pufferfishes

R

Rabbitfishes
Rattails
Rainbowfishes
Rays (eagle rays, stingarees, skates etc)
Red Indianfish and Prowfishes
Remoras and Suckerfishes
Ribbonfishes
Rockcods, Basslets, Coral Cods, Coral Trouts and Groupers
Roughies
Rubyfishes

S

Salamanderfishes
Sanddivers
Sauries
Sawbellies
Sawsharks
Scats and Butterfishes
Schindler’s fishes
Scorpionfishes
Seadragons
Seahorses
Seamoths
Sharks
Silver Biddies
Silversides
Slickheads
Smelts
Snappers
Snipefishes and Razorfishes
Soapfishes
Soldierfishes and Squirrelfishes
Soles
Spiny Eels
Spiny Pufferfishes (Porcupinefishes, Burrfish etc)
Splendid Perches
Squaretails
Squirrelfishes
Stargazers
Stingrays
Stonefishes
Sunfishes
Surgeonfishes, Tangs and Unicornfishes
Sweeps
Sweetlips

T

Tailor
Tapetails
Thornfishes
Torpedo Rays
Threadfin Breams, Whiptails, Monocle Breams
Trevallies, darts, scads, kingfishes
Triggerfishes
Triplefins
Triple-tail
Tripodfishes
Trout
Trumpeters
Trumpetfishes, Flutemouths and Long Toms
Tunas

V/W

Velvetfishes

Weedfishes
Whitings
Whalefishes
Wrasses