This list of fossil fish research presented in 2024 is a list of new fossil taxa of jawless vertebrates, placoderms, cartilaginous fishes, bony fishes, and other fishes that were described during the year, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to paleoichthyology that occurred in 2024.
Jawless vertebrates
NameNoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityLocationNotesImagesCaeruleum gracilisSp. novValidHuang et al.Early CretaceousJiufotang FormationA lamprey.Changxingaspis nianzhongiSp. novValidLi et al.SilurianTataertag FormationA member of Galeaspida belonging to the family Xiushuiaspidae.Dunyu tianluSp. novValidLi et al.SilurianXiaoxi FormationLugiiaspisGen. et sp. novValidCapasso et al.Silurian (Přídolí)Winnica Mudstone ComplexA member of Pteraspidiformes. The type species is L. winnicus.MiaojiaaspisGen. et sp. novValidChen et al.Silurian (Telychian)Huixingshao FormationA member of Galeaspida belonging to the group Eugaleaspiformes and the newly minted family Tujiaaspidae (type Tujiaaspis). The type species is M. dichotomus.Orthogoniaspis amnicusSp. novElliottDevonian()A member of Heterostraci belonging to the family Weigeltaspididae.
Jawless vertebrate research A study on the evolutionary history of hagfishes, as indicated by the fossil record and molecular data, is published by Brownstein & Near (2024), who consider the hagfish crown group to be a lineage with Early Permian origin and a long history in continental slope settings. Brookfield (2024) interprets Jamoytius kerwoodi as a probable detritivore or herbivore feeding on Dictyocaris (interpreted by the author as possible algal thalli). Evidence interpreted as indicating that oral plates of pteraspid heterostracans had a mechanical function and that the studied heterostracans likely had a bottom-dwelling feeding mode, such as deposit feeding or scavenging, is presented by Grohganz et al. (2024). A study on the structure of pteraspid oral plates and associated denticles is published by Grohganz et al. (2024), who interpret their findings as indicating that heterostracan oral plate denticles were not homologous with teeth of jawed vertebrates. Botella, Fariña & Huera-Huarte (2024) present evidence indicating that, in spite of lacking movable appendages other than tail fin, members of Pteraspidiformes were able to colonize the water column because the shape of their head shield made to possible for them attain high lift forces in a way similar to delta wings. Description of the feeding apparatus of Rhinopteraspis dunensis, interpreted as composed of 13 plates that were capable of rotating around the transverse axis, is published by Dearden et al. (2024), who interpret R. dunensis as a suspension or deposit feeder. Shan et al. (2024) describe new fossil material of "Dongfangaspis" qujingensis and Damaspis vartus from the Devonian Xishancun Formation (China), and reinterpret "D." qujingensis as a member of the genus Damaspis.
Placoderms NameNoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityLocationNotesImagesGroenlandaspis howittensisSp. novValidFitzpatrick, Clement & LongDevonianBindaree Formation
Placoderm research Jobbins et al. (2024) describe new fossil material of Alienacanthus malkowskii, providing evidence of elongation of the lower jaw which was twice as long as the skull. Engelman (2024) presents a new reconstruction of Dunkleosteus terrelli, and provides the anatomical basis for the reconstruction including a stout, deep trunk.
Cartilaginous fishes Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Country Notes ImagesAellopobatisGen. et sp. novValidTürtscher et al.Late Jurassic (Tithonian)A member of Batomorphi belonging to the family Spathobatidae. The type species is A. bavarica.AmtaaguarGen. et comb. novDe Pasqua et al.NeogeneAn eagle ray. The type species is "Myliobatis" crassus (Gervais, 1859).BelgabatisGen. et comb. novValidReinecke et al.PaleogeneA dasyatoid batomorph. The type species is "Dasyatis" thierryi Smith (1999).CasierabatisGen. et sp. comb. novValidReinecke et al.PaleogeneA dasyatoid batomorph. Genus includes new species C. lambrechtsi, as well as "Trygon" jaekeli Leriche (1905).CentrodeaniaGen. et 2 sp. novValidFeichtinger et al.Paleocene (Danian)Oiching FormationA member of the family Centrophoridae. The type species is C. rugosa; genus also includes C. annae.Chlamydoselachus kamchaticusSp. novValidMalyshkina & NazarkinEocenePeresheek Mountain Formation()A species of Chlamydoselachus.ColumnaodusGen. et sp. novValidCicimurri et al.Carboniferous (Mississippian)Contact horizon between Burlington and Keokuk Limestones() A member of Hybodontoidea of uncertain affinities. The type species is C. witzkei.CosmoselachusGen. et sp. novValidBronson et al.Carboniferous (Mississippian)Fayetteville Shale()A member of the family Falcatidae. The type species is C. mehlingi.DanodalatiasGen. et sp. et comb. novValidPopov, Lopyrev & YarkovPaleocene()A member of the family Dalatiidae. Genus includes new species D. ochevi, as well as "Centroselachus" goordi Mannering & Hiller (2008).Dorsetoscyllium belbekensisSp. novTrikolidiEarly Cretaceous (Berriasian)CrimeaA carpet shark. Published online in 2025, but the issue date is listed as December 2024.Eostriatolamia iktensisSp. novValidDuffin & BatchelorEarly Cretaceous (Aptian)Vectis FormationA member of Lamniformes.EssexrajaGen. et sp. novValidReinecke et al.EoceneLondon ClayA batomorph. The type species is E. ypresiensis.EurasiabatisGen. et sp. novValidReinecke et al.PaleogeneTielt FormationA batomorph. The type species is E. occlusostriata.GlaucopristisGen. et comb. novValidReinecke et al.PaleogeneA rhinopristiform batomorph. The type species is "Rhinobatus" bruxelliensis Jaekel (1894).Glikmanius careforumSp. novValidHodnett et al.Carboniferous (Mississippian)()GunnelliaGen. et sp. novValidIvanov & DuffinCarboniferous()A member of the family Anachronistidae. The type species is G. tatianae.Gyracanthides riniensisSp. novValidGess & BurrowDevonian (Famennian)Waterloo Farm lagerstätteA gyracanthid acanthodian.Gyracanthus? jasperiSp. novValidSnyder, Burrow & TurnerCarboniferous (Mississippian)Ste. Genevieve Formation()A gyracanthid acanthodian.Heterodontus adnetiSp. novValidMigomEoceneA bullhead shark.IncognitorapaxGen. et sp. novValidFeichtinger et al.Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) and Paleocene (Danian)A member of the family Etmopteridae. The type species is I. fernsebneri.Orthacanthus adamasNom. novValidBabcockCarboniferousUpper Freeport Coal()A replacement name for Orthacanthus gracilis Newberry (1875).Orthacanthus lintonensisNom. novValidBabcockCarboniferousUpper Freeport Coal()A replacement name for Diplodus gracilis Newberry (1857).Palaeohypotodus bizzocoiSp. novValidEbersole, Cicimurri & HarrellPaleocene (Danian)Porters Creek Formation()A member of Lamniformes belonging to the family Jaekelotodontidae.Parvodus ominechonensisSp. novValidBreeden et al.Late Triassic (Carnian)Momonoki FormationA lonchidiid hybodontiform.Pteroscyllium downesiSp. novValidDuffin & BatchelorEarly Cretaceous (Aptian)Atherfield Clay FormationA carcharhiniform shark with affinities with catsharks.Pteroscyllium sweetmaniSp. novValidDuffin & BatchelorEarly Cretaceous (Aptian)Vectis FormationScyliorhinus alaformisSp. novValidFeichtinger et al.Paleocene (Danian)Oiching FormationA species of Scyliorhinus.SerratodasyatisGen. et comb. novValidReinecke et al.PaleogeneA dasyatoid batomorph. The type species is "Dasyatis" tricuspidatus Casier (1946).SheppeytrygonGen. et comb. novValidReinecke et al.EoceneLondon ClayA dasyatoid batomorph. The type species is "Dasyatis" davisi Casier (1966).Stoilodon lindenbergiSp. novValidHornung et al.Early Cretaceous (Berriasian)Isterberg FormationA member of Chimaeroidea of uncertain affinities.TroglocladodusGen. et sp. novValidHodnett et al.Carboniferous (Mississippian)()A ctenacanthid. Genus includes T. trimblei.TurovellaGen. et sp. novValidIvanov & DuffinCarboniferous()A member of the family Anachronistidae. The type species is T. lebedevi.VectiscylliumGen. et sp. novValidDuffin & BatchelorEarly Cretaceous (Aptian)Atherfield Clay FormationA carcharhiniform shark with affinities with catsharks. The type species is V. atherfieldensis.Xampylodon diastemacronSp. novDos Santos et al.Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian)López de Bertodano FormationAntarcticaA cow shark.
Cartilaginous fish research Schnetz et al. (2024) study the completeness of the Paleozoic fossil record of chondrichthyans, finding it to be significantly lower compared to other investigated vertebrate groups. A study on the diversification of chondrichthyans throughout the Paleozoic is published by Schnetz et al. (2024), who report evidence indicative of two increases of diversification rates in the earliest Devonian and in the earliest Carboniferous, and of dispersal into deeper-water environments in the aftermath of the Hangenberg event. A diverse assemblage of cartilaginous fish fossils is described from the Eocene Osinovaya Formation (Rostov Oblast, Russia) by Popov et al. (2024). A study on the anatomy of the pharynx of Acanthodes confusus, providing evidence of the presence of a mixture of characters seen in cartilaginous and bony fish, is published by Dearden, Herrel & Pradel (2024). The first fossil material of obruchevodid petalodonts found outside the Bear Gulch Limestone, including teeth of Fissodopsis robustus and Netsepoye hawesi providing information on their three-dimensional tooth morphology, is described from the Carboniferous (Mississippian) Bangor Limestone (Alabama, United States) by Egli et al. (2024). Brownstein, Near & Dearden (2024) reconstruct the evolutionary history of holocephalans, and argue that, while key features of the holocephalan body plan evolved in the Paleozoic, the group entered deep ocean waters and diversified there only after the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. Böttcher (2024) argues that preservation of isolated hybodont teeth without the root is most likely caused by resorption of the tooth root in members of Hybodontiformes. New hybodont assemblage, representing one of the oldest records of Jurassic hybodonts from Gondwana reported to date, is described from the Bajocian Jaisalmer Formation (India) by Ghosh et al. (2024). Fanai et al. (2024) reported the first occurrence of Otodus Megalodon from Bhuban Formation of Mizoram (India). The oldest fossil material of members of the genus Strophodus from Gondwana reported to date is described from the ?Early to Middle Jurassic succession of Kachchh Basin (India) by Bhosale et al. (2024). Cuny & Chanthasit (2024) describe egg capsules of Palaeoxyris sp. from the Jurassic Phu Kradung Formation (Thailand), interpreted as indicating that at least some hybodont sharks in Jurassic Thailand reproduced in fresh waters. Fossil material of Aegyptobatus kuehnei, formerly known only from the Bahariya Formation (Egypt), is described from the Alcântara Formation (Brazil) by Neves et al. (2024). A study on the evolutionary history of selachians (modern sharks) is published by Sternes, Schmitz & Higham (2024), who argue that modern sharks expanded to the pelagic realm no later than the Barremian, that habitat influenced the morphology of their pectoral fins, and that the increase of sea surface temperature in the middle of the Cretaceous period was an important factor in driving the evolution of shark ecology and morphology. Guinot et al. (2024) describe a new specimen of Palaeocarcharias stromeri from the Tithonian strata of the Canjuers Lagerstätte (France), providing new information on the anatomy of members of this species, and classify P. stromeri as a carpet shark that might be related to wobbegongs. The first fossil material of a member of the wobbegong genus Cederstroemia from Asia reported to date is described from the Santonian Kashima Formation (Japan) by Kaneko & Solonin (2024).