Panderichthys is a genus of extinct sarcopterygian from the late Devonian period, about 380 Mya. Panderichthys, which was recovered from Frasnian deposits in Latvia, is represented by two species. P. stolbovi is known only from some snout fragments and an incomplete lower jaw. P. rhombolepis is known from several more complete specimens. Although it probably belongs to a sister group of the earliest tetrapods, Panderichthys exhibits a range of features transitional between tristichopterid lobe-fin fishes and early tetrapods. It is named after the German-Baltic paleontologist Christian Heinrich Pander. Possible tetrapod tracks dating back to before the appearance of Panderichthys in the fossil record were reported in 2010, which suggests that Panderichthys is not a direct ancestor of tetrapods, but nonetheless shows the traits that evolved during the fish-tetrapod evolution
This glossary of ichthyology is a list of definitions of terms and concepts used in ichthyology, the study of fishes.
The Bear Gulch Limestone is a limestone-rich geological lens in central Montana, renowned for the quality of its marine fossils from the late Mississippian subperiod, about 324 million years ago. It is exposed over a number of outcrops northeast of the Big Snowy Mountains, and is often considered a component of the more widespread Heath Formation. The Bear Gulch Limestone reconstructs a diverse, though isolated, marine ecosystem which developed near the end of the Serpukhovian age in the Carboniferous period. It is a lagerstätte, a particular type of rock unit with exceptional fossil preservation of both articulated skeletons and soft tissues. Bear Gulch fossils include a variety of fish, invertebrates, and algae occupying a number of different habitats within a preserved shallow bay.
Stethacanthidae is an extinct family of prehistoric sharks. It is estimated to have existed approximately between 380 and 300 million years ago. Members of this family are noted for their peculiar dorsal fin.
The Palaeonisciformes, commonly known as "palaeoniscoids" are an extinct grouping of primitive ray-finned fish (Actinopterygii), spanning from the Silurian/Devonian to the Cretaceous. They are generally considered paraphyletic, but their exact relationships to living ray-finned fish are uncertain. While some and perhaps most palaeoniscoids likely belong to the stem-group of Actinopteryii, it has been suggested that some may belong to the crown group, with some of these possibly related to Cladistia and/or Chondrostei. Many palaeoniscoids share a conservative body shape and a similar arrangement of skull bones, though paleoniscoids as a whole exhibit considerable diversity in body shape.
Tristichopterus, with a maximum length of sixty centimetres, is the smallest genus in the family of prehistoric lobe-finned fish, Tristichopteridae that was believed to have originated in the north and dispersed throughout the course of the Upper Devonian into Gondwana. Tristichopterus currently has only one named species, first described by Egerton in 1861. The Tristichopterus node is thought to have originated during the Givetian part of the Devonian. Tristichopterus was thought by Egerton to be unique for its time period as a fish with ossified vertebral centers, breaking the persistent notochord rule of most Devonian fish but this was later reinspected and shown to be only partial ossification by Dr. R. H. Traquair. Tristichopterus alatus closely resembles Eusthenopteron and this sparked some debate after its discovery as to whether it was a separate taxon.
Cyranorhis is an extinct genus of marine ray-finned fish that lived during the Serpukhovian age of the Carboniferous period. One species is known, C. bergeraci in the Bear Gulch Limestone what is now Montana, United States. It is named after French novelist Cyrano de Bergerac.
Cycloptychius is an extinct genus of prehistoric freshwater & marine ray-finned fish that existed throughout much of the Carboniferous period in Eurasia, and possibly into the Early Permian in South Africa. It was a member of the Rhadinichthyidae, a family of basal ray-finned fish that was formerly placed in the now-paraphyletic order Palaeonisciformes.
Chirophryne is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Oneirodidae, the dreamers, a family of deep sea anglerfishes. The only species in the gneus is Chirophryne xenolophus, the longhand dreamer. This species is known from a few locations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
The plainchin dreamarm is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Oneirodidae, the dreamers, a family of deep sea anglerfishes. It is the only species in the monospecific genus Leptacanthichthys. This species occurs in the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans at depths down to 2,000 m (6,600 ft).
Discoserra is a prehistoric ray-finned fish from the Mississippian of the Bear Gulch Limestone in Montana. It is a member of the Guildayichthyiformes with a round body and a skull possessing primitive and modern traits. Discoserra is about 60 mm long. In 2006, Discoserra was hypothesized to be a stem neopterygian, although it has alternatively been placed in Cladistia along with other Guildayichthyiformes.
Nemipterus peronii, the notchedfin threadfin bream, notchedfin butterfly breamrosy threadfin bream or Peron's threadfin bream, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to family Nemipteridae, the threadfin breams. This species occurs in the Indo-West Pacific region.
Squalius valentinus, commonly known as the Valencia chub and the Levantine bagra, is a species of freshwater fish in the carp family Cyprinidae. It was first isolated from the Turia River in Valencia, hence its name. It is considered endangered. This species is differentiated from its cogenerates by having eight branched rays in its dorsal fin; eight branched rays in its anal fin; two rows of pharyngeal teeth on both sides possessing 2 and 5 teeth ; a wide caudal peduncle; its number of gill rakers; the number of scales in its lateral line; the number of scale rows above the latter; by possessing three scale rows below it; by having thirty-nine vertebrae ; showing large 4th and 5th infraorbital bones; a maxilla with a very distinct marked anterior process; exhibiting a frontal bone expanded at the middle; a wide neurocranium bone; the lower branch of the pharyngeal bone being robust; a large and narrow urohyal; as well as genetic differences (allozymes).
Squalius malacitanus, commonly known as the Málaga chub, is a species of freshwater fish in the carp family Cyprinidae. It was first isolated from the Guadalmina River in Málaga, hence its name. It is considered a vulnerable species. S. malacitanus differs from its cogenerate species by having 7–8 branched rays in its dorsal fin, 8 branched rays in the anal lateral line; the number of scale rows above its lateral line; possessing 3 scale rows below its lateral line; 38 vertebrae, 21 abdominal, and 17 caudal; large fourth and fifth infraorbital bones; maxilla without a pointed anterior process; the middle of its frontal bone being narrow, as well as its neurocranium bone; the lower branch of its pharyngeal bone is rather long; and the shortness of the inferior lamina of its urohyal bone.
Astyanax microschemos is a species of characid fish from Brazil. It belongs to the A. scabripinnis species complex and differs from other species outside it by having a lower number of branched anal fin rays and its shallow body depth being about 26.9-29.7 vs more than 35% of its standard length (SL). Compared to species of its own complex, it can be distinguished by the combination of its shallow body depth, and smaller interorbital width. The species name comes from the Greek mikroschemos, meaning "low stature", which refers to the shallow body depth of the animal.
Deuterodon pelecus is a species of characid fish from Brazil. It can be distinguished from other species by: its body depth ; its short and pointed snout smaller than the orbital diameter; and a reduced number of branched anal fin rays. D. pelecus also differs from members of its genus by its characteristic color pattern. It possesses a single humeral spot that is constricted to the region above the lateral line; at the same time it shows a conspicuous midlateral body stripe from opercle to the caudal fin base, an autapomorphy of this precise species. Other Deuterodon species have a humeral spot that is vertically or horizontally elongate and have the midlateral stripe becoming faint near that humeral spot. The species name is derived from the Greek pelekus, meaning "axe", referring to the pigmentation shape resulting from the adjoinment of the humeral spot with the midlateral stripe.
Qilinyu is a genus of early placoderm from the late Silurian of China. It contains a single species, Qilinyu rostrata, from the Xiaoxiang fauna of the Kuanti Formation. Along with its contemporary Entelognathus, Qilinyu is an unusual placoderm showing some traits more similar to bony fish, such as dermal jaw bones and lobe-like fins. It can be characterized by adaptations for a benthic lifestyle, with the mouth and nostrils on the underside of the head, similar to the unrelated antiarch placoderms. The shape of the skull has been described as "dolphin-like", with a domed cranium and a short projecting rostrum.
Pentanogmius is an extinct genus of sail-finned ray-finned fish that lived during the Late Cretaceous in what is now Europe and the United States. Five species are currently recognized, 2 from Cenomanian to Turonian Europe and 3 better known species from Coniacian to Campanian North America. The American species inhabited large areas of the Western Interior Seaway, with fossil finds indicating a range from Texas and Alabama in the south to Manitoba, Canada, in the north.
Vaillantella euepiptera is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a loach, belonging to the family Vaillantellidae, the longfin loaches. This species is found in Southeast Asia.
Pacorichthys is an extinct genus of palaeoniscoid ray-finned fish from Switzerland. It is currently only known from the Meride Limestone, a part of the Monte San Giorgio palaeontological Lagerstatten, located in Canton Ticino. This deposit dates to the Middle Triassic, specifically the Late Ladinian. It was a small, fusiform fish similar to a large amount of other paleonisciformes though it possessed a expanded, fixed maxillary along with its suboperculum being larger than its operculum. Though not fitting with the paleoenvironments seen in the rest of the group, a Redfieldiiform affinity has been suggested for the genus. There is only a single species in the genus being P. sangiorgii.
