What is Teleost?
{{Automatic taxobox | fossil_range = [[Triassic]] – Recent | image = F de Castelnau-poissonsPl12.jpg | image_width = 250px | image_caption = ''Retroculus'' ([[Cichlidae]]); Hairy Blenny, ''Labrisomus''; ''Ogcocephalus'' and ''Acanthurus'' | taxon = Teleostei | subdivision_ranks = Superorders | subdivision = }} '''Teleosts''' are the dominant [[fish]] of the present day. They arose in the [[Mesozoic]] [[era]], and include 20,000 living [[species]]. The oldest teleost fossils date back to the late [[Upper Triassic|Triassic]]. They evolved from fish like [[bowfin]]s in the [[clade]] [[Holostei]]. During the [[Mesozoic]] and [[Cainozoic]] they [[adaptive radiation|diversified]]. 96 percent of all known fish species are teleosts. They are, in order of [[evolution]], [[vertebrate]]s, jawed fish ([[Gnathostomata]]), bony fish ([[Osteichthyes]]) and ray-finned fish ([[Actinopterygii]]).<ref>{{cite web|year=2006|title=FishBase|url=http://www.fishbase.org}}</ref><ref>Nelson, Joseph S. 2006. ''Fishes of the world''. Wiley, N.Y. {{ISBN|0471250317}}.</ref><ref>Helfman G. Collette B. & Facey D. 1997. ''The diversity of fishes''. Blackwell, Oxford. {{ISBN|0-86542-256-7}}</ref> == Advantages == To account for their success, teleosts must have advantages over earlier fish. In general, teleosts tend to be quicker and more flexible than earlier bony fishes. Their skeletal structure has evolved towards greater lightness. Teleost bones are constructed from a scaffolding of struts, which makes them strong without adding weight. Teleosts have a movable [[jaw]] and changes in the jaw muscles. These changes make it possible for them to protrude their jaws outwards from the mouth.<ref>{{cite web | title = Telostei | url = http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/vertebrates/actinopterygii/teleostei.html | publisher = Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley | author = Ben Waggoner | date = 1995-07-17 | accessdate = 2006-06-08 }}</ref> This [[adaptation]] improves their ability to grab fast-moving [[prey]].<ref>[https://www.youtu