Moythomasia

Moythomasia (named for James Alan Moy-Thomas)^[1] is an extinct genus of early ray-finned fish from the Devonian period, known from fossils found in Europe and Australia.

Moythomasia Temporal range: Middle Devonian–Late Devonian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
†Moythomasia nitida Gross 1953 from the Devonian (Givetian) of Bergisch-Gladbach, Germany.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Family:	†Moythomasiidae Kazantseva, 1971
Genus:	†Moythomasia Gross, 1950 non Whitley, 1951
Species
M. devonica (Clarke, 1885) M. durgaringa Gardiner & Bartram, 1977 M. lebedevi Plax, Bakaev & Naugolnykh, 2025 M. lineata Choo, 2015 M. nitida Gross, 1953 M. perforata (Gross, 1942)
Synonyms
Aldingeria Gross, 1942 non Moy-Thomas, 1942

Moythomasia was a small freshwater fish, measuring about 9 centimetres (3.5 in) in length. It had relatively large eyes, likely to help it locate prey in murky water. Its body was covered in specialized ganoid scales; the upper side of each scale featured a small pin that perfectly fit into a hollow on the lower side of the adjacent scale. This unique structure provided both armor and flexibility.^[2]

Species

• M. devonica (Clarke, 1885) [Palaeoniscus devonicus Clarke, 1885; Rhadinichthys devonicus (Clarke, 1885)]
• M. durgaringa Gardiner & Bartram, 1977
• M. lebedevi Plax, Bakaev & Naugolnykh, 2025
• M. lineata Choo, 2015
• M. nitida Gross, 1953
• M. perforata (Gross, 1942) [Aldingeria perforata Gross, 1942]

Reconstruction of M. durgaringa (top), M. nitida (middle), and M. lineata (bottom) based on Brian Choo's (2015) skeletal restoration