Dorsetichthys

Dorsetichthys is an extinct genus of marine stem-teleost ray-finned fish from the Early Jurassic period of Europe. It contains a single species, D. bechei, known from the Sinemurian-aged Lower Lias of England and the Moltrasio Formation of Italy.

Description

Dorsetichthys was an elongated teleost that could reach up to long. This fish had ganoid scales close to modern gars.

Taxonomy

The type species of Dorsetichthys, D. bechei, was formerly assigned to Pholidophorus, but Arratia recognized it as generically distinct from the Pholidophorus type species, placing it in the new family Dorsetichthyidae and new order Dorsetichthyiformes.
Cladogram of Teleosteomorpha after Sferco et al. 2021: