Potanichthys xingyiensis Temporal range: Ladinian (Middle Triassic) |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Subclass: | Neopterygii |
Order: | †Perleidiformes |
Family: | †Thoracopteridae |
Genus: |
†Potanichthys Xu, Zhao, Gao, & Wu, 2012 |
Species: | †P. xingyiensis |
Binomial name | |
Potanichthys xingyiensis Xu, Zhao, Gao, & Wu, 2012 |
Potanichthys is a fossil genus of flying or gliding fish found in deposits in China dating to the Ladinian age of the Middle Triassic epoch (237 to 228 million years ago). However, the fossil is not related to modern flying fish, which evolved independently about 66 million years ago. It is classified under the extinct family Thoracopteridae of the order Perleidiformes. It contains only one species, Potanichthys xingyiensis.