Prehistoric fish are early fish that are known only from fossil records. They are the earliest known vertebrates, and include the first and extinct fish that lived through the Cambrian to the Quaternary. The study of prehistoric fish is called paleoichthyology. A few living forms, such as the coelacanth are also referred to as prehistoric fish, or even living fossils, due to their current rarity and similarity to extinct forms. Fish which have become recently extinct are not usually referred to as prehistoric fish. They were very different from what we have today. They likely were larger and had tougher scales.

Lists of various prehistoric fishes include:

• List of prehistoric jawless fish
• List of placoderms
• List of acanthodians
• List of prehistoric cartilaginous fish
• List of prehistoric bony fish
• List of sarcopterygians

• Evolution of fish
• Prehistoric life
• Vertebrate paleontology

• Janvier, Philippe (1998) Early Vertebrates, Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-854047-7
• Long, John A. (1996) The Rise of Fishes: 500 Million Years of Evolution, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-5438-5

• Fossil Fish

v t e Evolution of fish
Fish Timeline of fish evolution
Forerunners	Basal member †Pikaia Cephalochordate †Cathaymyrus Lancelet Olfactores †Haikouella Tunicate †Myllokunmingiidae? (†Haikouichthys, †Myllokunmingia) †Zhongxiniscus?
Jawless fish	Cyclostomata Hagfish Hyperoartia Lamprey †Conodonts †Protoconodonta? †Paraconodontida †Conodonta †Ostracoderms †Pteraspidomorphi †Thelodonti †Anaspida †Cephalaspidomorphi †Galeaspida †Pituriaspida †Osteostraci
Jawed fish	†Placoderms †Antiarchi †Arthrodira †Brindabellaspida †Petalichthyida †Phyllolepida †Ptyctodontida †Rhenanida †Acanthothoraci †Pseudopetalichthyida? †Stensioellida? †Acanthodii †Acanthodiformes †"Climatiiformes" †Diplacanthiformes †Ischnacanthiformes Cartilaginous Elasmobranchii †Ctenacanthiformes †Hybodontiformes †Phoebodontiformes †Xenacanthida Ray Shark Holocephali †Eugeneodontida †Iniopterygiformes †Petalodontiformes †Symmoriiformes Chimaera Bony Lobe-finned †Onychodontiformes Coelacanth Rhipidistia †Porolepiformes Lungfish Tetrapodomorpha Ray-finned †"Palaeonisciformes" Cladistia Polypteriformes Chondrostei Acipenseriformes Neopterygii †Pycnodontiformes Halecomorphi Ginglymodi Teleost
Lists	Lists of prehistoric fish spiny sharks placoderms cartilaginous bony lobe-finned List of transitional fossils
Related	Prehistoric life Transitional fossils Vertebrate paleontology
† extinct

v t e Fish
About fish	Diversity Ethnoichthyology Evolution Diseases and parasites Fishing Fisheries Environmental impact of fishing - as food Fear of - FishBase Fish kill Hypoxia in - Ichthyology
Anatomy and physiology	Age determination Anguilliformity Bone dermal intramembranous ossification Cleithrum Chromatophore Fins dorsal fin Gill branchial arch gill raker gill slit pharyngeal arch pharyngeal slit pseudobranch Glossohyal Jaw hyomandibula pharyngeal jaw Leydig's organ Mauthner cell Meristics Operculum papillare Papilla Photophore Root effect Shark cartilage Scales ganoine Spiral valve Suckermouth Swim bladder physoclisti physostome Teeth pharyngeal shark Teleost leptins Digital Library
Sensory systems	Ampullae of Lorenzini Barbel Hydrodynamic reception Electroreception and electrogenesis Jamming avoidance response Lateral line Otolith Capacity for pain Schreckstoff Surface wave detection Vision Weberian apparatus
Reproduction	Bubble nest Clasper Egg case Development Ichthyoplankton Juvenile Life history theory Milt Mouthbrooder Polyandry Pregnancy Roe Sequential hermaphroditism Spawning triggers
Locomotion	Fin and flipper locomotion Amphibious Walking Flying Undulatory locomotion Tradeoffs for locomotion in air and water RoboTuna
Other behaviour	Aquatic predation Aquatic respiration Bait ball Bottom feeders Cleaner fish Corallivory Diel vertical migration Electric fish Filter feeders Forage fish Migratory Paedophagy Predatory Salmon run Sardine run Scale eaters Schooling fish Sleep Venomous Intelligence
By habitat	Cave Coastal Coldwater Coral reef Deep-sea Demersal Euryhaline Freshwater Groundfish Pelagic Tropical
Other types	Bait Coarse Diversity Game Genetically modified Hallucinogenic Oily Poisonous Rough Whitefish
Commerce	Farming Carp Catfish Octopus Salmonids Tilapia Wild fisheries Predatory billfish mackerel salmon tuna Forage anchovy herring sardine sprats Demersal cod flatfish pollock
Major groups	Jawless hagfish lampreys Cartilaginous chimaeras sharks rays Bony spiny-finned fleshy-finned
Lists	Aquarium life Blind Fish common names Fish families Glossary of ichthyology Largest Smallest Threatened rays sharks Prehistoric more lists...
Category WikiProject

This article includes a species-related list of lists.