Scientific article
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English

The first articulated skeletons of enigmatic Late Cretaceous billfish-like actinopterygians

Published inRoyal Society open science, vol. 10, no. 12, 231296
Publication date2023-12-06
First online date2023-12-06
Abstract

Only few candidates of Mesozoic fishes with a similar body plan and ecological niche to the modern billfishes are suggested as their analogues. Several specimens were recovered from Cenomanian deposits in Germany and Lebanon and display a billfish-like fusiform body with elongated premaxillae. They are found close to the plethodids and show a unique combination of characters (rostrum pointed and extremely elongated, double articular head of the quadrate, anteroposteriorly elongated abdominal centra indicating a slender body and different types of scales on the body) allowing their inclusion in a new genus. Two ‘ Protosphyraena ’ species are also assigned to this new genus. This fish can be considered as an ecological analogue to the extant xiphioids sharing their feeding habits. This fish was abundant and roamed, as an apex predator, the Central Tethys and the Boreal realms during the Cenomanian.

Keywords
  • Cenomanian
  • Plethodidae
  • Protosphyraena
  • Rhamphoichthys taxidiotis
  • Billfishes
  • Ecological analogue
Citation (ISO format)
EL HOSSNY, Tamara et al. The first articulated skeletons of enigmatic Late Cretaceous billfish-like actinopterygians. In: Royal Society open science, 2023, vol. 10, n° 12, p. 231296. doi: 10.1098/rsos.231296
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ISSN of the journal2054-5703
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