Acanthopterygii, a term due to Cuvier, and employed to designate one of the principal orders of bony fishes (see FISHES). Literally meaning thorny-winged (Gr. acantha, 'a thorn,' and pteryx, 'a wing'), the term describes one of the characteristics of the order—namely, the presence of unjointed spinous rays in the dorsal, anal, and ventral fins. Among the common representatives are perch, mullet, mackerel, muller's thumb, gurnard, blenny, and stickleback.