Thoracopterus

Thoracopterus niederristi
Temporal range: Carnian [1]
Fossilised Thoracopterus Magnificus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: †Perleidiformes
Family: †Thoracopteridae
Genus: †Thoracopterus
Bronn, 1858
Species:
†T. niederristi
Binomial name
†Thoracopterus niederristi
Bronn, 1858

Thoracopterus is an extinct genus of overwater gliding ray-finned fish from the Carnian age of the Late Triassic. It is a monotypic taxon, with the type species being T. niederristi.[1]

Thoracopterus had elongate pectoral fins, similar to modern Exocoetidae, which are used to glide overwater in order to escape aquatic predators. Thoracopterus represents one of the earliest known example for overwater gliding in actinopterygians.

Former species

References

  1. ^ a b c d Shen, Chenchen; Arratia, Gloria (2021-10-02). "Re-description of the sexually dimorphic peltopleuriform fish Wushaichthys exquisitus (Middle Triassic, China): taxonomic implications and phylogenetic relationships". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 19 (19): 1317–1342. doi:10.1080/14772019.2022.2029595. ISSN 1477-2019. S2CID 247731689.

See also

  • Fishes of the World by Joseph S. Nelson (page 95)
  • Wildlife of Gondwana: Dinosaurs and Other Vertebrates from the Ancient Supercontinent (Life of the Past) by Pat Vickers Rich, Thomas Hewitt Rich, Francesco Coffa, and Steven Morton
  • The Rise of Fishes: 500 Million Years of Evolution by John A. Long


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