Kingdom Metazoa
Phylum Chordata
Class Osteichthyes
Subclass Sarcopterygii
Order Crossopterygii
- Coelacanthid, Indet.
Diet:
- Fish?
- Soft Invertebrates?
Habitat:
- Marine
Material:
- Isolated Scale(s)?
The Coelacanthidae, once thought to have become extinct during the Upper Cretaceous, is now known to survive to the present day, in the form of Latimeria from the east coast of Africa. These were predominantly marine animals, often rather deep bodied, with lobe-shaped paired fins. The tail was symmetrical and three-lobed, and the skull was short and deep, with considerable reduction of the skull bones and of many of the marginal teeth. The lung or swim bladder was commonly calcified and thus was easily preserved in the fossil specimens. It is possible that some of the large, heavy fish scales and indeterminate fish bones found in the Upper Cretaceous marine deposits of Vancouver Island may represent members of this family.
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