Lists of prehistoric fish

Prehistoric fish are early fish that are known only from fossil records. They are the earliest known vertebrates, and include the first and extinct fish that lived through the Cambrian to the Quaternary. The study of prehistoric fish is called paleoichthyology. A few living forms, such as the coelacanth are also referred to as prehistoric fish, or even living fossils, due to their current rarity and similarity to extinct forms. Fish which have become recently extinct are not usually referred to as prehistoric fish.

See also: Evolution of fish
Haikouichthys, from about 518 million years ago in China, may be the earliest known fish.[1]

Categories of prehistoric fish

Groups of various prehistoric fishes include:

Jawless fish

Placoderms

Acanthodians

Cartilaginous fish

Basal ray-finned fish

Modern ray-finned fish (Teleosts)

Lobe-finned fish

See also

References
  1. Shu, D-G., Conway Morris, S., Han, J.; et al. (January 2003). "Head and backbone of the Early Cambrian vertebrate Haikouichthys". Nature. 421 (6922): 526–529. Bibcode:2003Natur.421..526S. doi:10.1038/nature01264. PMID 12556891.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

Other reading
  • Janvier, Philippe (1998) Early Vertebrates, Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-854047-7
  • Long, John A. (1996) The Rise of Fishes: 500 Million Years of Evolution, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-5438-5
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