Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Macropoma

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Kingdom
  
Animalia

Family
  
Latimeridae

Rank
  
Genus

Class
  
Sarcopterygii

Phylum
  
Chordata

Order
  
Coelacanth

Macropoma httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

Similar
  
Coelacanth, Libys, Undina, Axelrodichthys, Chinlea

Macropoma paleontology


Macropoma (from Greek μακρός "large" + πόμα "cover", after its large operculum) is an extinct genus of coelacanth in the class Sarcopterygii. These fishes have apparently been extinct for over 70 million years and are most closely related to the modern coelacanth Latimeria.

Fossils of Macropoma have been found in both England and Czechoslovakia. Recorded fossils have bodies under two feet in length. A modern coelacanth measures five or more, but in other respects the two genera are remarkably similar, and share the same body plan with a three-lobed tail and stalked fins.

Macropoma grew to a length of 22 inches (55 centimeters) and would have preyed upon smaller aquatic species.

References

Macropoma Wikipedia