''Flindersichthys'' is an extinct genus of prehistoric
bony fish
Osteichthyes (), popularly referred to as the bony fish, is a diverse superclass of fish that have skeletons primarily composed of bone tissue. They can be contrasted with the Chondrichthyes, which have skeletons primarily composed of cartilag ...
that lived during the
Albian stage of the
Early Cretaceous
The Early Cretaceous ( geochronological name) or the Lower Cretaceous (chronostratigraphic name), is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous. It is usually considered to stretch from 145 Ma to 100.5 Ma.
Geology
Pro ...
epoch.
Description
''Flindersichthys'' was a large fish growing over 1.25 meters long and with an estimated body depth of over 30 centimeters. The holotype specimen, QMF2210, is a nearly complete skull found near the
Flinders River, one mile east of
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
, Queensland, in the sediments of the
Toolebuc Formation.
Several other specimens are also known, mostly from the
Toolebuc Formation, though some are from the
Allaru and
Normanton formations.
It is assigned to the
Elopiformes order, but while it shares some features with
megalopids it is considered ''
incertae sedis'' below this level.
Judging from its
dentition
Dentition pertains to the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. In particular, it is the characteristic arrangement, kind, and number of teeth in a given species at a given age. That is, the number, type, and morpho-physiolo ...
and the fact that the specimen QMF13720 has small, isolated
vertebrae of a
teleost fish in the mouth, ''Flindersichthys'' is believed to be a predator of smaller fish.
It also had a large jaw with an underbite, possibly allowing it to swallow small prey whole.
See also
*
Prehistoric fish
*
List of prehistoric bony fish
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College
Albert A. List College of Jewish Studies, known simply as List College, is the undergraduate school of the J ...
References
Early Cretaceous fish
Elopiformes
{{elopiformes-stub