Pteronisculus

Pteronisculus is an extinct genus of prehistoric bony fish that lived during the Early Triassic and Middle Triassic epochs of the Triassic period. The preoccupied genus name "Glaucolepis" Stensiö, 1921 (non Glaucolepis Braun, 1917) is a synonym of Pteronisculus White, 1933.[3]

Pteronisculus Temporal range: Early Triassic–Middle Triassic[1] PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Pteronisculus fossil at the Geological Museum, Copenhagen
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Infraphylum:	Gnathostomata
Superclass:	Osteichthyes
Class:	Actinopterygii
Subclass:	Chondrostei
Order:	†Palaeonisciformes[2]
Family:	†Turseoidae?
Genus:	†Pteronisculus White, 1933
Type species
†Pteronisculus cicatrosus White, 1933
Other species
†Pteronisculus gyrolepidoides †Pteronisculus arcticus †Pteronisculus stensioi †Pteronisculus gunnari †Pteronisculus magnus †Pteronisculus aldingeri †Pteronisculus macropterus †Pteronisculus arambourgi †Pteronisculus broughi †Pteronisculus nielseni †Pteronisculus nevadanus
Synonyms
Glaucolepis Stensiö, 1921

Pteronisculus was originally referred to the family Palaeoniscidae, but was removed due to differences to Palaeoniscum.[4] Based on similarities with Turseodus it was provisionally included in Turseoidae.[5] A synapomorphy of Pteronisculus and Turseodus is the tooth-bearing lachrymal.

Pteronisculus had a wide geographic range during the Early Triassic.[1] Fossils were collected in Greenland, Madagascar, Spitsbergen and the United States (possibly also British Columbia). From the Middle Triassic, it is only known from South China.[6][7] Its occurrence in the Permian of South Africa has been questioned. About 12 species have been described to date, ranging from 11 centimetres (0.36 ft) to 40 centimetres (1.3 ft) in length.