Berycopsis

Berycopsis Temporal range: Late Cretaceous
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Polymixiiformes
Family:	Polymixiidae
Genus:	Berycopsis
Species
B. germanus B. pulcher

Berycopsis is an extinct genus of beardfish from the Cretaceous period.

It was about 35 centimetres (14 in) long and one of the first members of the Acanthopterygii, the group that includes the present day barracuda, swordfish, seahorses, and flatfish. Like its modern relatives, the first fin rays in the dorsal and anal fins were modified into defensive spines, and the pelvic fins were located close to the pectoral fins. Berycopsis was one of the earliest fish known to have these features, which are widespread today.^[1]

References

1. Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 41. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.