List of prehistoric bony fish genera

This list of prehistoric bony fish is an attempt to create a comprehensive listing of all genera from the fossil record that have ever been considered to be bony fish (class Osteichthyes), excluding purely vernacular terms. The list includes all commonly accepted genera, but also genera that are now considered invalid, doubtful (nomina dubia), or were not formally published (nomina nuda), as well as junior synonyms of more established names, and genera that are no longer considered members of osteichthyes.

Leedsichthys, a giant Jurassic pachycormid

This list includes 1,387 generic names.

Naming conventions and terminology

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Naming conventions and terminology follow the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Technical terms used include:

  • Junior synonym: A name which describes the same taxon as a previously published name. If two or more genera are formally designated and the type specimens are later assigned to the same genus, the first to be published (in chronological order) is the senior synonym, and all other instances are junior synonyms. Senior synonyms are generally used, except by special decision of the ICZN, but junior synonyms cannot be used again, even if deprecated. Junior synonymy is often subjective, unless the genera described were both based on the same type specimen.
  • Nomen nudum (Latin for "naked name"): A name that has appeared in print but has not yet been formally published by the standards of the ICZN. Nomina nuda (the plural form) are invalid, and are therefore not italicized as a proper generic name would be. If the name is later formally published, that name is no longer a nomen nudum and will be italicized on this list. Often, the formally published name will differ from any nomina nuda that describe the same specimen.
  • Nomen oblitum (Latin for "forgotten name"): A name that has not been used in the scientific community for more than fifty years after its original proposal.
  • Preoccupied name: A name that is formally published, but which has already been used for another taxon. This second use is invalid (as are all subsequent uses) and the name must be replaced. As preoccupied names are not valid generic names, they will also go unitalicized on this list.
  • Nomen dubium (Latin for "dubious name"): A name describing a fossil with no unique diagnostic features. As this can be an extremely subjective and controversial designation, this term is not used on this list.


 
Aetheodontus besanensis
 
Aipichthys velifer
 
Amyzon aggregatum
 
Anaethalion knorri
 
Belonostomus sp.
 
Caturus velifer
 
Cyranorhis bergeraci
 
The lantern fish Ceratoscopelus maderensis is a modern representative of a prehistoric genus
 
Dapedium politum specimen from Oxford University Museum of Natural History
 
Eosalmo sp.
 
Eusthenopteron
 
Furo longiserratus
 
Gabanellia
 
The Opalfish is a modern species of the genus Hemerocoetes (H. monopterygius)
 
Italopterus magnificus
 
Fossil of Lycoptera davidi.
 
Mioplosus labracoides
 
Mesturus fossil
 
Obaichthys decoratus
 
Reconstruction of Panderichthys
 
The northern bastard codling, a modern species of Pseudophycis (P. breviuscula).
 
Holotype rostrum of Protosphyraena nitida, a successful genus of middle Cretaceous swordfish (from Hay, 1903).
 
The round whitefish, a modern species of Prosopium (P. cylindraceum)
 
An example of a modern Pontinus species (P. nematophthalmus)
 
Rhabdofario lacustris
 
Saurichthys
 
Tetragonolepis
 
Xiphactinus
 
Zoarces viviparus is a modern species of the genus Zoarces

See also

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References

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Individual sources

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  1. ^ Friedman, Matt (August–September 2007). "Styloichthys as the oldest coelacanth: implications for early osteichthyan interrelationships". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 5 (3): 289–343. doi:10.1017/S1477201907002052. eISSN 1478-0941. ISSN 1477-2019. S2CID 83712134. ProQuest 218705606, EBSCOhost 2009-011296. Archived from the original on 2024-04-22. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
  2. ^ Edward B. Daeschler; Neil H. Shubin; Farish A. Jenkins, Jr (6 April 2006). "A Devonian tetrapod-like fish and the evolution of the tetrapod body plan". Nature. 440 (7085): 757–763. Bibcode:2006Natur.440..757D. doi:10.1038/nature04639. PMID 16598249.

Compendia

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  1. [Sepkoski 2002] Sepkoski, J. John, Jr. "Jack" (September 16, 2002). Jablonski, David; Foote, Michael (eds.). "A Compendium of Fossil Marine Animal Genera". Cl. OSTEICHTHYES. Bulletins of American Paleontology (363): 305-318. ISBN 0-87710-450-6. ISSN 0007-5779. ark:/13960/t7mp59x79. "GF+OSTEICHTEYVES" Archived from the original on 2008-12-11 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) As transcribed by: Peters, Shanan (ed.). "1393 genera are assigned to the class OSTEICHTHYES". Sepkoski's Online Genus Database. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. [This source also includes the names of the orders that the genera are part of, as well as the first and last time period and stage that the genus occurred in. The print version additionally cites sources for taxonomic and stratigraphic information about many of the genera.]
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