Chondrostean

Chondrosteans are the most primitive of the 3 ray-finned fish megaFactions, first playable during the Siluran. Their Faction can grow quite large. These builds often specc into a cartilaginous skeleton, which makes them appear to be close relatives of cartilaginous fish while actually being closer to the Teleosts.

## Palaeoniscoids

Palaeoniscoids are some of the earliest playable Chondrostean builds. They were playable from the Siluran to the Cretacous. They were Fragile Speedsters and Glass Cannons with [Tooth Regeneration].

## Chondrostean Builds

### C-tier

Bichir-Spines for Defense buff, [Modified Swim Bladder],[Electroreception] and access to the [Death Roll] ability, not just for Crocodillians. However, too small to make an impact in the meta.

### B-tier

American Paddlefish-A filter-feedingTank build with decent [Electroreception]. Suffers from bad matchups against Crocodillians and Lampreys.

Lake Sturgeon-It loses what makes Sturgeons fun in the first place to pursue a freshwater playstyle. It still has above-average Health and few bad matchups.

European Sea Sturgeon-It has the best access to the marine meta and can cross ocean servers for their main quest. It also has a sizable amount of Health. However, the Ocean is an unforgiving place, and it has many bad matchups.

### A-tier

Gulf Sturgeon-It has the highest Mobility stat of any Sturgeon and can tolerate higher temperatures than other members of its Faction. It is also known for leaping and injuring Human mains in this process.

White Sturgeon-The highest-tiered bottom-feeding Sturgeon build, with ginormous amounts of Health and Defense. Its playerbase is also relatively in better shape, being ranked Least Concern (LC)

### S-tier

Huso-A build which takes the stats of the already high-tier White Sturgeon to the extreme. Its stats can compete with top-tier Shark builds. It has great Perception for a Sturgeon, and unlike them, rolls for a macropredator capaby of bodying builds their own weight class or greater. And they do this without sacrificing the regular toolkit available to Sturgeons.

## Referrences

1. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/animal/chondrostean
2. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/animal/chondrostean/Evolution
3. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/animal/chondrostean
4. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20101225152809/http://www.palaeos.com/Vertebrates/Units/090Teleostomi/090.300.html
5. ↑ https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pala.12150
6. ↑ https://www.accessscience.com/content/palaeonisciformes/482800
7. ↑ https://sciencenordic.com/animals-denmark-evolution/the-enamel-on-your-teeth-came-from-prehistoric-fish/1423105
8. ↑ https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/bichir-spines.326401/
9. ↑ https://untamedscience.com/order/polypteriformes/
10. ↑ https://www.aquariumsource.com/bichir/
11. ↑ http://antediluviansalad.blogspot.com/2014/02/death-roll-not-just-for-crocs.html
12. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/animal/bichir
13. ↑ https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/paddlefish-13844/
14. ↑ https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Polyodon\_spathula/
15. ↑ https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120105145841.htm
16. ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352249618300053
17. ↑ http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/2010/lor\_yer/interactions.htm
18. ↑ https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11160-006-9018-6
19. ↑ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/l/lake-sturgeon/
20. ↑ http://academics.cehd.umn.edu/hatch/research/fish/fishes/lake\_sturgeon.html
21. ↑ https://www.aquarium-larochelle.com/en/prepare-your-visit/species-encyclopedia/european-sea-sturgeon#:~:text=The%20European%20sea%20sturgeon%20is,segments%20of%20rivers%20to%20reproduce.
22. ↑ https://www.aquarium-larochelle.com/en/prepare-your-visit/species-encyclopedia/european-sea-sturgeon#:~:text=On%20average%2C%20they%20measure%201,most%20endangered%20species%20in%20Europe.
23. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5550615/
24. ↑ https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/gulf-sturgeon
25. ↑ https://www.news4jax.com/weather/2018/05/03/watchout-for-jumping-sturgeon-on-suwannee-river/
26. ↑ https://www.cityofvancouver.us/publicworks/page/learn-about-sturgeon#:~:text=Sturgeon%20can%20live%20to%20be,weigh%20more%20than%201%2C500%20pounds!
27. ↑ https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Acipenser\_transmontanus/
28. ↑ https://www.oregonzoo.org/discover/animals/white-sturgeon#:~:text=Status,U.S.%20Fish%20and%20Wildlife%20Service.
29. ↑ https://oceana.org/marine-life/ocean-fishes/beluga-sturgeon
30. ↑ https://caviarlover.com/blog/beluga-caviar-price/
31. ↑ https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Huso\_huso/
32. ↑ http://sarmatianinthesca.blogspot.com/2014/04/extreme-length-beluga-sturgeon.html#:~:text=The%20beluga%20sturgeon%20is%20a,encountered%20them%20if%20they%20did).&text=Regardless%2C%20it's%20the%20second%20longest,be%20the%20longest%20macropredatory%20fish.
33. ↑ https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Sturgeon