Virtual Museum: Basal Ray-finned Fishes

The ray-finned fishes have an arc of bone at the base of their fin that supports thin rays rather than the column of bone found in the lobe-finned fishes.

Crossopholis magnicaudatus paddlefish.

Taxonomy: Order Acipenseriformes

Green River Formation, Wyoming?

Eocene Epoch

Black Hills Institute Museum, South Dakota

This Crossopholis magnicaudatus paddlefish is preserved with prey (the fish Mioplosus labracoides) in its stomach.

Taxonomy: Order Acipenseriformes

Fossil Lake, Wyoming

Eocene Epoch

Chicago Field Museum

Amblypterus blainvillei.

Taxonomy: Order Paramblypteriformes†, Family Elonichthyidae

Autun, France

Permian Period

Chicago Field Museum

Lawnia taylorensis.

Taxonomy: Order Palaeonisciformes†, one of the most primitive groups of the ray-finned fishes

Leuders Formation, Baylor Co., TX

Permian Period

Black Hills Institute Museum, South Dakota

Gonatodus brainerdi.

Taxonomy: Order Palaeonisciformes†, Family Elonichthyidae

Chagrin Falls, Ohio

Carboniferous Period

Chicago Field Museum

Elonichthys peltigerus.

Taxonomy: Order Palaeonisciformes†, Family Elonichthyidae

Mazon Creek, IL

Carboniferous Period

Chicago Field Museum

Life models of Aeduella sp.

Taxonomy: Order Palaeonisciformes†

Early Permian Period; Europe

Museum of Ancient Life, Utah

Paratarrasius hibbardi.

Taxonomy: Order Tarrasiiformes († extinct)

Bear Gulch, Fergus Co., Montana

Carboniferous Period, Mississippian Epoch

Black Hills Institute Museum, South Dakota

Apholidotos hibbardi.

Taxonomy: Order Tarrasiiformes (extinct)

Central Montana

Carboniferous Period, Mississippian Epoch, 320 Ma

Museum of the Rockies

the Pycnodontiformes is an extinct order of marine fishes that dates from the Triassic to Paleogene periods. Although diverse, they often had deep, laterally compressed bodies that allowed for manuverability in reef-like environments. Their flattened teeth suggest they crushed hard foods (durophagy).

Gyrodus sp.

Taxonomy: Order Pycnodontiformes†

Germany

Late Jurassic Period, 145 Ma

Wyoming Dinosaur Center

Palaeobalistum goedeli drumfish.

Taxonomy: Order Pycnodontiformes (extinct)

Lebanon

Late Cretaceous Period, 98 Ma

Museum of Ancient Life, Utah

Trewavasia carinatus.

Taxonomy: Order Pycnodontiformes (extinct)

Lebanon

Late Cretaceous Period, Cenomanian Stage

Black Hills Institute Museum, South Dakota

An unidentified Pycnodontiform fish.

Taxonomy: Order Pycnodontiformes (extinct)

Hjoula, Lebanon

Late Cretaceous Period, 110 Ma

Tuscon Gem & Mineral Show

An unidentified Pycnodontiform fish.

Taxonomy: Order Pycnodontiformes (extinct)

Hjoula, Lebanon

Late Cretaceous Period, 110 Ma

Tuscon Gem & Mineral Show

Platysomus sp.

Taxonomy: Order Platysomiformes (extinct)

Montana

Carboniferous Period

Chicago Field Museum

Platysomus circularis.

Taxonomy: Order Platysomiformes†

Mazon Creek, IL

Carboniferous Period

Chicago Field Museum

Life models of Platysomus sp.

Taxonomy: Order Platysomiformes†

Early Carboniferous to late Permian Periods

Museum of Ancient Life, Utah

Life models of Dorypterus sp.

Taxonomy: Order Bobasatraniiformes (extinct)

Late Permian Period; Europe

Museum of Ancient Life, Utah

The Holostei are a clade of relatively primitive ray-finned fishes, anatomically intermediate between the most primitive forms (above) and the derived teleosts (below). They have thicker scales and a caudal (tail) fin that is only slightly asymmetric. They have lungs that also function as a swim bladder. The two living groups are the gars and the bowfin.

Surviving to this day, gars, such as this Lepisosteus simplex, also have an extensive fossil record.

Taxonomy: Order Lepisosteiformes; Family Lepisosteidae

Green River Formation, Wyoming?

Eocene Epoch

Black Hills Institute Museum, South Dakota

Atractosteus strausi gar.

Taxonomy: Order Lepisosteiformes; Family Lepisosteidae

Messel, Germany

Eocene Epoch

Black Hills Institute Museum, South Dakota

Fossil of the gar, Masillosteus janeae. This specimen is the holotype (the specific specimen used to describe and define the species).

Taxonomy: Holostei; Lepisosteiformes; Lepisosteidae

Fossil Lake, WY

Eocene Epoch

Chicago Field Museum

Lepisosteus bemisi holotype

Taxonomy: Holostei; Lepisosteiformes; Lepisosteidae

Fossil Lake, WY

Eocene Epoch

Chicago Field Museum

Life model of Acentrophorus sp., a representative of an extinct order of Holostei

Taxonomy: Order Semionotiformes (extinct)

Permian to Triassic Periods; Europe

Museum of Ancient Life, Utah

Albertonia cupidinia belongs to another extinct group of Holostei.

Taxonomy: Order Parasemionotiformes†; Family Parasemionotidae†

Alberta, Canada

Early Triassic Periods

Black Hills Institute Museum, South Dakota

Cyclurus kehreri bowfin. Bowfins are relatively primitive ray-finned fishes, with only a single surviving species

Taxonomy: Clade Holostei; Order Amiiformes; Family Amiidae

Messel, Germany

Eocene Epoch

Black Hills Institute Museum, South Dakota

Amia sp. bowfin.

Taxonomy: Clade Holostei; Order Amiiformes; Family Amiidae

Florissant Formation, Colorado

Eocene Epoch, 35 Ma

Denver Museum of Science & Nature

Holotype of the extinct bowfin Amia pattersoni.

Taxonomy: Clade Holostei; Order Amiiformes; Family Amiidae

Fossil Lake, WY

Eocene Epoch

Chicago Field Museum

Holotype of Paramiatus gurleyi bowfin.

Taxonomy: Clade Holostei; Order Amiiformes; Family Amiidae

Fossil Lake, WY

Eocene Epoch

Chicago Field Museum

Protosphyraena nitida skull. This large (2-3 m long) predator resembled modern billfishes (but is not closely related them). It is likely a stem teleost (not a true teleost, but more closely related to teleosts than to holsteans such as bowfins).

Taxonomy: Order Pachycormiformes†; Family Pachycormidae

Niobrara Chalk, Kansas

Late Cretaceous Period, 83 Ma

Dinosaur Resource Center, CO