Begin by understanding the classification of fish. Fish are broadly categorized into three major groups: jawless fish, cartilaginous fish, and bony fish.
Focus on bony fish, which are characterized by having a skeleton made primarily of bone rather than cartilage.
Bony fish are further divided into two major groups: ray-finned fish and lobe-finned fish.
Ray-finned fish, or Actinopterygii, have fins supported by bony spines known as rays. This group includes the majority of fish species.
Lobe-finned fish, or Sarcopterygii, have fleshy, lobed, paired fins, which are joined to the body by a single bone. This group includes species like coelacanths and lungfish.