Eosaurichthys

Eosaurichthys ("dawn Saurichthys") is an extinct genus, or potentially subgenus, of marine saurichthyid ray-finned fish that lived during the late Permian epoch (Changhsingian age) to potentially the Early Triassic epoch (Olenekian).^[1] It is one of the earliest saurichthyid genera known from the fossil record. If E. madagascariensis is a member of this genus, then it appears to have survived the Permian-Triassic extinction event.

Eosaurichthys Temporal range: Changhsingian to Olenekian[1] PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	†Saurichthyiformes
Family:	†Saurichthyidae
Genus:	†Eosaurichthys Liu & Wei, 1988
Type species
Eosaurichthys chaoi Liu & Wei, 1988
Species
†E. chaoi Liu & Wei, 1988 †E. madagascariensis (Piveteau, 1945)

Eosaurichthys is often treated as a subgenus of Saurichthys rather than a genus, with its type species referred to as Saurichthys (Eosaurichthys) chaoi.^[2]

Up to two species are known:^[2][3]

• E. chaoi Liu & Wei, 1988 - Late Permian (Changhsingian) of China (Changxing Formation)
• E. madagascariensis (Piveteau, 1945) - Early Triassic (Olenekian) of Madagascar (Sakamena Formation)^[4][5]

Saurichthyid remains tentatively referred to E. madagascariensis are known from Anisian-aged freshwater beds of the Yerrapalli Formation in India.^[3]

Appearance

Eosaurichthys closely resembles its daughter genus, Saurichthys, in both form and morphology. Its body is fully covered by scales, while in Saurichthys the scale cover is reduced.^[2][6]

See also

• Paleontology portal
• Fish portal

• Prehistoric fish
• List of prehistoric bony fish