Libys

Libys Temporal range: Jurassic
Specimen of Libys at the Burgmeister Muller Museum, Solnhofen
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Sarcopterygii
Class:	Actinistia
Order:	Coelacanthiformes
Suborder:	Latimerioidei
Family:	Latimeriidae
Genus:	†Libys Münster, 1842
Species
Libys polypterus (Münster 1842) (type) Libys superbus (Zittel, 1887)

Libys is a genus of coelacanth fish in the family of Latimeriidae. Species of Libys lived during the Lower-Upper Jurassic period (Toarcian - Tithonian, about 183 to 145 million years ago).

Description

Libys had an exceptionally squat body, especially when compared to other coelacanths of the same period as Undina and Holophagus. Libys could reach 60 centimeters in length and was therefore a medium-sized coelacanth, with a short and high skull. The pectoral fins were quite long, while the tail was remarkably short and high.^[1]

Distribution

Fossils of these fishes have been found in Germany, in the famous deposits of Solnhofen.

Species

• Libys superbus Reis, 1888
• Libys polypterus
• Libys callolepis^[2]

The genus Libys was erected in 1842 by Muenster. The species Libys polypterus was then established as the type species, on the basis of fragmentary remains. A second species, L. superbus, was described on the basis of complete large specimens, but most authors treat both as one species.

Libys superbus at the Teylers Museum, Haarlem

Libys superbus at the Naturhistorisches Museum, Wien

References

• Paleontology portal

1. Ferrante, Christophe; Cavin, Lionel (2025-06-06). "A deep dive into the coelacanth phylogeny". PLOS ONE. 20 (6): e0320214. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0320214. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 12143573. PMID 40478838.
2. Ferrante, Christophe; Menkveld-Gfeller, Ursula; Cavin, Lionel (2022-09-22). "The first Jurassic coelacanth from Switzerland". Swiss Journal of Palaeontology. 141 (1): 15. Bibcode:2022SwJP..141...15F. doi:10.1186/s13358-022-00257-z. ISSN 1664-2384. PMC 9499918. PMID 36164559.