Palaeopterygii

views updated May 11 2018

Palaeopterygii An older name for a supposed subclass including some of the more primitive fish. They were bony fish with many fossil relatives, including e.g. the families Acipenseridae, Polyodontidae, and Polypteridae.

Palaeopterygii

views updated May 08 2018

Palaeopterygii Name formerly given to a supposed subclass that included some of the more primitive fish, but whose members are no longer held to be closely related. They were bony fish with many fossil relatives, including, for example, the still-extant families Acipenseridae (sturgeon), Polyodontidae (paddlefish), and Polypteridae (bichir).