Vertebrates /ˈvɜːrtɪbrɪts/ comprise all species of animals within the subphylum Vertebrata /-eɪ/ (chordates with backbones). Vertebrates represent the overwhelming majority of the phylum Chordata, with currently about 69,276 species described.[4] Vertebrates include the jawless fishes and jawed vertebrates, which include the cartilaginous fishes (sharks, rays, and ratfish) and the bony fishes.