Rhamphoichthys
| Rhamphoichthys Temporal range: UpperCenomanian,
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| Life restoration ofR. taxidiotis | |
Scientific classification
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | †Tselfatiiformes |
| Family: | †Plethodidae |
| Genus: | †Rhamphoichthys Hossny, Cavin, Kaplan, Schwermann, Samankassou & Friedman, 2023 |
| Type species | |
| †Rhamphoichthys taxidiotis Hossnyet al,2023
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| Species | |
Rhamphoichthysis anextinctgenusofbillfish-likeplethodidray-finned fishfromLate Cretaceous(Cenomanian). It contains one valid species,R. taxidiotisfrom theHesseltal Formationof Germany and theSannine FormationofLebanon,in addition to two dubious species (R. minorfrom England andR. stebbingifrom England & Italy) that are considerednomina nudadue to their fragmentary nature.[1][2][3]
Rhamphoichthyswas a large, streamlinedtselfatiiformfish with an elongatedrostrum,akin to those of modern billfish and the co-occurringpachycormidfishProtosphyraena;the English and Italian species are only known from rostral fragments that were previously assigned toProtosphyraena.It is one of the few longirostrine tselfatiiforms known, alongside the more fragmentaryMartinichthysfromNorth America.Rhamphoichthysrostra can be differentiated from those ofProtosphyraenaby being composed of paired bones as opposed to the single "rostrodermethmoid" bone that comprises pachycormid rostra. Much like billfishes,Protosphyraenahad an upper jaw longer than the lower jaw and a high, long dorsal fin. However, unlike billfishes, it had a high pectoral fin and large scales on its body.[1]
Rhamphoichthysappears to have been a widespread and commonapex predatorin theTethysandBorealseas. It likely had a very similar ecological role and feeding habits to modern billfishes.[1]
References
[edit]- ^abcEl Hossny, Tamara; Cavin, Lionel; Kaplan, Ulrich; Schwermann, Achim H.; Samankassou, Elias; Friedman, Matt (2023)."The first articulated skeletons of enigmatic Late Cretaceous billfish-like actinopterygians".Royal Society Open Science.10(12): 231296.doi:10.1098/rsos.231296.ISSN2054-5703.PMC10698480.PMID38077217.
- ^"PBDB".paleobiodb.org.Retrieved2024-01-03.
- ^Friedman, Matt; Beckett, Hermione T.; Close, Roger A.; Johanson, Zerina (2016)."The English Chalk and London Clay: two remarkable British bony fish Lagerstätten".Geological Society, London, Special Publications.430(1): 165–200.doi:10.1144/SP430.18.ISSN0305-8719.