Taxonomic Class

Fish Encyclopedia

Gill-bearing aquatic craniate animals that lack limbs with digits. Showing 19 species cataloged in this class.

Mammals Birds Reptiles Amphibians Fish Invertebrates

SarcopterygiiAnimal group

African Lungfish

Protopterus

Diet: Aquatic carnivore and omnivore
Wild lifespan: Can live for decades under managed care

ActinopterygiiNE

Alligator Gar

Atractosteus spatula

Diet: Large opportunistic piscivore and scavenger
Wild lifespan: Females can exceed 90 years; males generally live fewer decades

ActinopterygiiAnimal group

Anemonefish

Amphiprioninae

Diet: Omnivore feeding on plankton, small benthic animals and algae
Wild lifespan: Species-specific; some wild females may survive for decades

ActinopterygiiVU

Blue Marlin

Makaira nigricans

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: Females may live about 20 years and males around 10 years; estimates vary by ocean and method

ActinopterygiiLC

Electric Eel

Electrophorus electricus

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: Unknown in the wild; historical captive records for electric eels range roughly 10–22 years

ChondrichthyesEN

Giant Oceanic Manta Ray

Mobula birostris

Diet: Filter-feeding carnivore
Wild lifespan: At least 40–45 years is plausible; exact maximum remains uncertain

ChondrichthyesCR

Great Hammerhead Shark

Sphyrna mokarran

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: Common estimates exceed 30 years, with some individuals aged beyond 40 years

ChondrichthyesVU

Great White Shark

Carcharodon carcharias

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: At least 70 years is possible, with major uncertainty among estimates

ActinopterygiiLC

Humpback Anglerfish

Melanocetus johnsonii

Diet: Deep-sea carnivore
Wild lifespan: Unknown

ChondrichthyesVU

Nurse Shark

Ginglymostoma cirratum

Diet: Carnivorous bottom feeder
Wild lifespan: At least several decades; exact wild maximum remains uncertain

ActinopterygiiLC

Ocellaris Clownfish

Amphiprion ocellaris

Diet: Omnivore feeding on plankton, small invertebrates and algae
Wild lifespan: Often 6–10 years, with longer lives possible in well-managed aquariums

ActinopterygiiLC

Queen Angelfish

Holacanthus ciliaris

Diet: Sponge-specialist omnivore
Wild lifespan: Often 10–15 years; precise wild longevity is difficult to measure

ActinopterygiiLC

Queen Parrotfish

Scarus vetula

Diet: Herbivorous reef scraper
Wild lifespan: Wild lifespan is not represented by one well-established universal estimate

ActinopterygiiLC

Red Lionfish

Pterois volitans

Diet: Generalist carnivorous predator
Wild lifespan: Up to about 10 years reported in the wild

ActinopterygiiLC

Red-bellied Piranha

Pygocentrus nattereri

Diet: Omnivore
Wild lifespan: Often 10 years or more; well-maintained captive individuals can live longer

ActinopterygiiNE

Summer Flounder

Paralichthys dentatus

Diet: Ambush predator of fish and mobile invertebrates
Wild lifespan: Often 8–12 years, with some individuals older

ChondrichthyesEN

Whale Shark

Rhincodon typus

Diet: Filter-feeding carnivore
Wild lifespan: Estimated at many decades, possibly 80 years or more; exact longevity remains uncertain

ActinopterygiiLC

Yellow Tang

Zebrasoma flavescens

Diet: Primarily herbivorous reef grazer
Wild lifespan: Up to roughly 41 years estimated in Hawaiian studies

ChondrichthyesEN

Zebra Shark

Stegostoma tigrinum

Diet: Nocturnal carnivore specializing in bottom-dwelling invertebrates
Wild lifespan: Often estimated at 25–30 years, with precise wild longevity still uncertain