Palaeoniscum

Palaeoniscum is an extinct genus of palaeoniscoid from the Permian of England, Turkey, North America, and more. The type species is Palaeoniscum freieslebeni. It is commonly misspelled as "Palaeoniscus" by many people.

Palaeoniscum freieslebeni

Etymology

The palaeo part means "ancient" in Greek and the niscum part means "woodlouse".

Description

Physical appearance

This fish had a torpedo-shaped body and reached 30 cm. The dorsal fin was developed in height and the tail was forked. Palaeoniscum had a "swim bladder" made of air sacs. Its sharp teeth could grow back again when they were lost, just like today's sharks.

Biology/Lifestyle

Palaeoniscum was probably a predatory carnivore.

Classification

Palaeoniscum is the type genus of the family Palaeoniscidae in the order Palaeonisciformes.

Naming

Palaeoniscum was named by Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville in 1818. However, it was mistakenly called Palaeoniscus by others.

Fossil of P. freieslebeni

Species

• †Palaeoniscum angustum Rzehak, 1881
• †Palaeoniscum antipodeum Egerton, 1864
• †Palaeoniscum antiquum Williams, 1886
• †Palaeoniscum arenaceum Berger, 1832
• †Palaeoniscum capense Bloom, 1913
• †Palaeoniscum comtum Agassiz, 1833
• †Palaeoniscum crassum Woodward, 1908
• †Palaeoniscum daedalium Yankevich & Minich, 1998
• †Palaeoniscum devonicum Clarke, 1885
• †Palaeoniscum elegans Sedgwick, 1829
• †Palaeoniscum freieslebeni de Blainville, 1818 (type species)
• †Palaeoniscum hassiae Jaekel, 1898
• †Palaeoniscum kasanense Geinitz & Vetter, 1880
• †Palaeoniscum katholitzkianum Rzehak, 1881
• †Palaeoniscum landrioti le Sauvage, 1890
• †Palaeoniscum longissimum Agassiz, 1833
• †Palaeoniscum macrophthalmum McCoy, 1855
• †Palaeoniscum moravicum Rzehak, 1881
• †Palaeoniscum promtus Rzehak, 1881
• †Palaeoniscum reticulatum Williams, 1886
• †Palaeoniscum scutigerum Newberry, 1868
• †Palaeoniscum vratislavensis Agassiz, 1833

Gallery

• 
  Palaeoniscum vratislavensis
• 
  Life restoration
• 
  Another fossil of P. vratislavensis

References

1. "Palaeoniscum freieslebeni Blainville, 1818". GBIF.
2. Agassiz, Louis (1833–1843). "Recherches sur les poissons fossiles". Petitpierre, Neuchâtel.
3. Hoşgör, Izzet; Štamberg, Stanislav (2014). "A first record of late Middle Permian actinopterygian fish from Anatolia, Turkey". Acta Geologica Polonica.
4. Henderson, Struan; Dunne, Emma M.; Fasey, Sophie A.; Giles, Sam (February 2023). "The early diversification of ray‐finned fishes ( Actinopterygii ): hypotheses, challenges and future prospects". Biological Reviews.

Other websites

• https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Fossil-records-of-A-cf-Palaeoniscum-sp-between-275-and-265-Ma-and-B-Palaeoniscum_fig5_370637624