Description
Tharsis is an extinct genus of bony fish that lived during the Late Jurassic period (approximately 155 – 145 million years ago), and its fossilized remains have been found in Germany, in the famous Solnhofen limestone quarry, where Archaeopteryx was also discovered. This fish was small in size, usually not exceeding 25 centimeters in length. It had a slender, sardine-like body with a pair of small fins and a relatively small, deeply forked caudal fin. The anal fin was located in the last third of the body. The skull was elongated and equipped with a small mouth containing numerous thin teeth. Scales covered the entire body and were small and rounded.
Tharsis was a small planktivorous fish that likely lived in shoals along continental waters, particularly in the ancient Solnhofen lagoon. Tharsis, along with other small fish such as Orthogonikleithrus and Leptolepides, was a very common component of the Solnhofen fauna and served as typical prey for numerous predatory fish, such as Caturus.

























Reviews
There are no reviews yet.