Moythomasia

Extinct genus of ray-finned fishes From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Moythomasia (named for James Alan Moy-Thomas)[1] is an extinct genus of early ray-finned fish from the Devonian period, known from fossils found in Europe and Australia.

Phylum:Chordata
Family:Moythomasiidae
Kazantseva, 1971
Genus:Moythomasia
Gross, 1950 non Whitley, 1951
Quick facts Scientific classification, Species ...
Moythomasia
Temporal range: Middle Devonian–Late Devonian
Moythomasia nitida Gross 1953 from the Devonian (Givetian) of Bergisch-Gladbach, Germany.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Family: Moythomasiidae
Kazantseva, 1971
Genus: Moythomasia
Gross, 1950 non Whitley, 1951
Species
  • M. devonica (Clarke, 1885)
  • M. durgaringa Gardiner & Bartram, 1977
  • M. lebedevi Plax, Bakaev & Naugolnykh, 2025
  • M. lineata Choo, 2015
  • M. nitida Gross, 1953
  • M. perforata (Gross, 1942)
Synonyms
  • Aldingeria Gross, 1942 non Moy-Thomas, 1942
Close

Moythomasia was a small freshwater fish, measuring about 9 centimetres (3.5 in) in length. It had relatively large eyes, likely to help it locate prey in murky water. Its body was covered in specialized ganoid scales; the upper side of each scale featured a small pin that perfectly fit into a hollow on the lower side of the adjacent scale. This unique structure provided both armor and flexibility.[2]

Species

  • M. devonica (Clarke, 1885) [Palaeoniscus devonicus Clarke, 1885; Rhadinichthys devonicus (Clarke, 1885)]
  • M. durgaringa Gardiner & Bartram, 1977
  • M. lebedevi Plax, Bakaev & Naugolnykh, 2025
  • M. lineata Choo, 2015
  • M. nitida Gross, 1953
  • M. perforata (Gross, 1942) [Aldingeria perforata Gross, 1942]
Reconstruction of M. durgaringa (top), M. nitida (middle), and M. lineata (bottom) based on Brian Choo's (2015) skeletal restoration

References

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