Perleidus

Perleidus is an extinct genus of ray-finned fish from the Triassic period. Fossils have been found worldwide.

Restoration

Perleidus Temporal range: Early Triassic–Middle Triassic PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Perleidus fossil slabs at the Geological Museum in Copenhagen
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perleidiformes
Family:	Perleididae
Genus:	Perleidus Deecke, 1911

Perleidus was a freshwater predatory fish, about 15 centimetres (5.9 in) in length. Its jaws hung vertically under the braincase, allowing them to open wide, a feature it shared with the earlier palaeonisciform fish, from which it may have been descended. Unlike those earlier fish, however, Perleidus and its relatives had highly flexible dorsal and anal fins, with a reduced number of fin rays. This would have made the fish more agile in the water.[1]

References

1. Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 36. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.