Platysomus

Platysomus (from Greek: πλατύς platys, 'broad' and Greek: σῶμα sôma 'body')^[1] is an extinct genus of ray-finned fish that lived in the Carboniferous and Permian periods. Fossils have been found worldwide.

Platysomus Temporal range: Early Carboniferous–Late Permian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Platysomus gibbosus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	†Platysomiformes
Family:	†Platysomidae
Genus:	†Platysomus Agassiz, 1833
Type species
†Platysomus striatus Agassiz, 1833
Other species
†Platysomus bashkirus Minich, 1992 †Platysomus biarmicus Eichwald, 1860 †Platysomus palmaris Cope, 1891 †Platysomus solikamskensis Minich, 1998 †Platysomus soloduchi Minich, 1992
Synonyms
†Schaefferichthys Dalquest, 1966

Platysomus gibbosus

Fossil of Platysomus circularis in the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago

Platysomus was about 18 centimetres (7.1 in) long, and shaped similarly to the discus fish, having the same flattened body and elongated dorsal and anal fins. Its jaws were placed vertically under the braincase, giving it a wide gape. Platysomus is thought to have fed on plankton, and lived in both fresh and salt water.^[2]