Australosomus

Australosomus is an extinct genus of prehistoric ray-finned fish that lived during the Early Triassic epoch.[1]

Australosomus
Temporal range: Early Triassic[1]
Australosomus merlei
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Class:
Osteichthyes
Subclass:
Actinopterygii
Order:
†Pholidopleuriformes
Family:
†Australosomidae

Burton 1932
Genus:
†Australosomus

Pivetau, 1930
Type species
†Australosomus merlei
(Priem, 1924)
Other species[2]
  • †A. altisquamosus Beltan 1979
  • †A. kochi Stensiö 1932
  • †A. longirostris Beltan 1968
  • †A. pholidopleuroides Nielsen 1949
  • †A. simplex Nielsen 1949
  • †A. stockleyi Haughton 1936

The interlocking scales (3 to 4 times long as wide), deeply forked caudal fin all help to distinguish this genus, which is known from Triassic rocks in Greenland, Africa, Madagascar, British Columbia and Vancouver.[3]

Australosomus is one of many genera to arise after the Permian extinction, only to die out during the Triassic extinction.[3]

See also
  • Prehistoric fish
  • List of prehistoric bony fish

References
  1. Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
  2. "Part 7- Vertebrates". Collection of genus-group names in a systematic arrangement. Archived from the original on 2016-10-05. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  3. Ludvigsen, Rolf & Beard, Graham. 1997. West Coast Fossils: A Guide to the Ancient Life of Vancouver Island. pg. 78-79


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