Libys

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Libys
Temporal range: Jurassic
Libys sp.jpg
Specimen of Libys at the Burgmeister Muller Museum, Solnhofen
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Sarcopterygii
Class: Actinistia
Order: Coelacanthiformes
Suborder: Latimerioidei
Family: Latimeriidae
Genus: Libys
Münster, 1842
Species
  • Libys polypterus(Münster 1842) (type)
  • Libys superbus(Zittel, 1887)

Libys is a genus of coelacanth fish in the family of Latimeriidae. Species of Libys lived during the Lower-Upper Jurassic period (Toarcian - Tithonian, about 183 to 145 million years ago).

Contents

Description

Libys had an exceptionally squat body, especially when compared to other coelacanths of the same period as Undina and Holophagus . Libys could reach 60 centimeters in length and was therefore a medium-sized coelacanth, with a short and high skull. The pectoral fins were quite long, while the tail was remarkably short and high. [1]

Distribution

Fossils of these fishes have been found in Germany, in the famous deposits of Solnhofen.

Species

The genus Libys was erected in 1842 by Muenster. The species Libys polypterus was then established as the type species, on the basis of fragmentary remains. A second species, L. superbus, was described on the basis of complete large specimens, but most authors treat both as one species.

Libys superbus at the Teylers Museum, Haarlem Libys superbus.jpg
Libys superbus at the Teylers Museum, Haarlem
Libys superbus at the Naturhistorisches Museum, Wien Latimeriidae - Libys superbus.JPG
Libys superbus at the Naturhistorisches Museum, Wien

References

  1. Ferrante, Christophe; Cavin, Lionel (2025-06-06). "A deep dive into the coelacanth phylogeny". PLOS ONE. 20 (6): e0320214. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0320214 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   12143573 . PMID   40478838.
  2. Ferrante, Christophe; Menkveld-Gfeller, Ursula; Cavin, Lionel (2022-09-22). "The first Jurassic coelacanth from Switzerland". Swiss Journal of Palaeontology. 141 (1): 15. Bibcode:2022SwJP..141...15F. doi: 10.1186/s13358-022-00257-z . ISSN   1664-2384. PMC   9499918 . PMID   36164559.