Supraorbital Sensory Canal Research Articles

The first record of a pterothrissin (Albuliformes, Albulidae) from the Muhi Quarry, mid-Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian) of Hidalgo, central Mexico

A new albuliform fish Nunaneichthys mexicanus gen. et sp. nov. is described from the Muhi Quarry, Albian-Cenomanian of Hidalgo, central Mexico. This species is a member of the subfamily Pterothrissinae, which is distinguished by having the following diagnostic combination of characters: skull roof bones ornamented with fine longitudinal striations, parasphenoid with conical teeth and a rounded tip, mandibles with denticles aligned in a single row, mandibular-quadrate articulation at the level of the posterior half of the orbit, subinferior mouth, preopercle somewhat expanded posteroventrally, and a long dorsal fin starting at the level of the 14th vertebra. The phylogenetic analysis indicates that this new species is closely related to the genus Pterothrissus on the basis of sharing a parietal pierced by a supraorbital sensory canal and crossed by anterior pit line, a parietal shorter than it is wide, and supratemporal commissure that runs for at least part of the trajectory trough parietals and/or supraoccipital. The new species is the earliest reported occurrence of a Pterothrissinae from the mid-Cretaceous of North America. The fossil record indicates that these bonefishes inhabited the Western Tethys sea during the Albian-Cenomanian.

New halecomorph (Actinopterygii, Neopterygii) from the Nusplingen Lithographic Limestone (Upper Jurassic, Late Kimmeridgian), Germany

ABSTRACT Early Mesozoic halecomorphs are highly diverse, but their taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships are still controversial. We describe here a new halecomorph taxon from the Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) Nusplingen Lithographic Limestone, southern Germany. Sanctusichthys rieteri, gen. et sp. nov., is characterized by the peculiar patterns of skull roofing bones and cephalic sensory canals, and a unique squamation made of tiny lepisosteoid-type scales with extremely or completely reduced ganoin layer. Very peculiarly, S. rieteri presents a series of bones placed between the frontals and the anamestic supraorbitals, one of them carrying a portion of the main supraorbital sensory canal between the frontal and nasal bones. These bones, here called parafrontals, are so far unknown in other actinopterygians. The new taxon resembles most closely several Late Jurassic Furo-like halecomorphs, which have been classified in the family Furidae and are currently placed in either of the controversial orders Ophiopsiformes or Ionoscopiformes. The close phylogenetic relationships between these taxa are confirmed in a cladistic analysis that retrieves Sanctusichthys within a broadly defined Ionoscopiformes, including the potentially independent Ophiopsiformes. Interestingly, these Furo-like halecomorphs are highly diverse in the Late Jurassic deposits of southern Germany, and they are especially well represented—with four species accounting for 15% of the actinopterygian taxa—in the Nusplingen quarry, which yields one of the three most diverse Jurassic assemblages of these fishes. The paleoecological significance of this high diversity can only be explored after solving the β-taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships of these Furo-like taxa.

A new species of Enteromius (Actinopterygii, Cyprinidae, Smiliogastrinae) from the Awash River, Ethiopia, and the re-establishment of E. akakianus.

In the present study, populations of small-sized smiliogastrin barbs with a thickened and serrated last simple dorsal-fin ray distributed in the Main Ethiopian Rift were analysed. An integrated approach combining genetic markers and a variety of morphological methods based on a wide set of characters, including osteology and sensory canals, proved to be very productive for taxonomy in this group of fishes. The results showed that Ethiopian Enteromius species with a serrated dorsal-fin ray are distant from the true E. paludinosus (with E. longicauda as a synonym) and the so-called E. paludinosus complex involves several supposedly valid species with two distinct species occurring in the Main Ethiopian Rift area. A new species, Enteromius yardiensissp. nov., is described from the Afar Depression in the north-eastern part of the Northern Main Ethiopian Rift. Enteromius akakianus is resurrected as a valid species including populations from the Central Main Ethiopian Rift (basins of lakes Langano, Ziway, and Awasa). No genetic data were available for E. akakianus from its type locality. Enteromius yardiensissp. nov. is clearly distant from E. akakianus from the Central Main Ethiopian Rift by CO1 and cytb barcodes: pairwise distances between the new species and the Ethiopian congeners were 5.4 % to 11.0 %. Morphologically, the new species most clearly differs from all examined Ethiopian congeners by three specialisations which are unique in the group: the absence of the anterior barbel, the absence of the medial branch of the supraorbital sensory canal, and few, 1–3, commonly two, scale rows between the lateral line and the anus.

†Ellimma longipectoralis sp. nov. (Teleostei: Clupeomorpha: †Ellimmichthyiformes) from the Aptian of the Santos Basin, southeastern Brazil

We described herein †Ellimma longipectoralis sp. nov., a new paraclupeid fish from the Aptian laminites of the pre-salt section in the Barra Velha Formation, Santos Basin, southeastern Brazil. This new species is represented by a single articulated specimen with elongate body and expanded pectoral region. It differs from the other nominal species of †Ellimma (†E. branneri and †E. cruzae) mainly by having a long pectoral fin (with 10–11 fin rays, reaching the seventh pleural rib), a complex arrangement of the supraorbital sensory canal in the frontal, predorsal scutes ornamented with straight ridges, and edentulous jaws and palate. This is a new occurrence of †ellimmichthyiforms in the Early Cretaceous and in offshore sedimentary basin, extending their geographical distribution southwards in the Western Gondwana.

New species of Trichomycterus (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae) from the High Andean Plateau of Argentina.

Trichomycterus varii new species, is described from a small tributary of the High Andean Plateau Region, Jujuy, Argentina. The new species is distinguished from other species of Trichomycterus by the following characters: the caudal peduncle expanded in the area of procurrent caudal-fin rays, distal tip of pelvic fin not reaching the anus when depressed, the presence of fronto-lachrymal tendon bone without lateral process, the first pectoral-fin ray terminating at the margin of the fin, the distal margin of pectoral-fin rounded, seven pectoral fin rays, 15-19 interopercular odontodes, the supraorbital sensory canal with the presence of pore s3, the infraorbital sensory canal segment with the presence of pores i1 and i3, the laterosensory canal of trunk with three sensory pores, 16 pairs of ribs, 11 precaudal vertebrae, and 25 caudal vertebrae. It closely resembles T. yuska and T. pseudosilvinichthys from northwestern Argentina and western Bolivia, but differs in head canal sensory pattern.

A new actinopterygian species ofIgornichthysHeyler, 1972 from the Permian of the Krkonoše Piedmont Basin (Bohemian Massif, Czech Republic), and its relationship to the actinopterygians of other European Permo-Carboniferous basins

ABSTRACT A new actinopterygian species from lacustrine Lower Permian deposits of the Krkonose Piedmont Basin (Bohemian Massif, Czech Republic) is assigned to the genus Igornichthys Heyler, 1972. Present study of this new species reveals several anatomical structures that markedly advance our knowledge and make the generic diagnosis of Igornichthys more precise. Characters that include sharply pointed spines on the scales, a supraorbital sensory canal continuing from the frontal on to the dermopterotic, a maxilla with the maxillary plate protruding at a ventro-posteriorly angle, dentition forming a single row of similar conical teeth, and an oblong operculum are diagnostic of the new species. Igornichthys is placed within Igornichthyidae Heyler, 1977 together with Igornella Heyler, 1969, Setlikia Stamberg & Zajic, 1994 and Commentrya Sauvage, 1888 from the Stephanian and Lower Permian of the French Massif central and the Bohemian Massif. Analysis of the anatomical features of Igornichthys and other members...

Yuanansuchus maopingchangensis sp. nov., the second capitosauroid temnospondyl from the Middle Triassic Badong Formation of Yuanan, Hubei, China.

A second species of Yuanansuchus, Y. maopingchangensis, is erected for new temnospondyl material from the Maopingchang site, Yuanan County, Hubei Province, China. These specimens are from the same horizon that produced Y. laticeps, the type species. Y. maopingchangensis shares the following features with Y. laticeps: postorbital portion of skull occupied more than 1/3 of skull length; tabular horn directed laterally; lateral line sulci continuous, well impressed; supraorbital sensory canal enters lacrimal; preorbital projection of jugal less than half length of snout; and vomerine plate short. However, Y. maopingchangensis differs from Y. laticeps in having an elongated skull, frontal extending posteriorly to the level of the posterior orbital margin, closed otic fenestra, cultriform process of parasphenoid extending to the level of the anterior margin of the interpterygoid vacuities, and absence of fodina vomeralis. Analysis of a new capitosaur phylogenetic data matrix, containing 56 characters and 29 species, confirms that the two species from Yuanan are sister taxa and that Capitosauroidea can be divided into two major clades: one including Parotosuchus, Eryosuchus, Calmasuchus and Cherninia, and another including Mastodonsaurus, Yuanansuchus, Stanocephalosaurus, Procyclotosaurus, Paracyclotosaurus, Antarctosuchus, Eocyclotosaurus, Quasicyclotosaurus, Tatrasuchus and Cyclotosaurus.

A new family of Cypriniformes (Teleostei, Ostariophysi) based on a redescription of †Jianghanichthys hubeiensis (Lei, 1977) from the Eocene Yangxi Formation of China

ABSTRACTThe fossil cypriniform fish †Jianghanichthys hubeiensis from Eocene mudstones in Songzi, Hubei, China, was originally assigned to the extant cyprinid genus Osteochilus, then later to the new genus †Jianghanichthys by its original author, but with its familial status uncertain. Other authors subsequently assigned it to the cypriniform family Catostomidae. A detailed comparison of osteological characters shows that †Jianghanichthys is distinguished from all other cypriniforms by having (1) first principal anal fin ray branched; (2) supraorbital sensory canal largely exposed in frontal but roofed by longitudinal flange; (3) supraorbital sensory canal meeting the temporal sensory canal within the parietal; (4) maxilla bearing three dorsal processes; (5) dorsal surface of anterior end of dentary triangular and broad; and (6) the first centrum of †Jianghanichthys has a similar size and prominent posterior concavity to the second centrum. A computed tomography (CT) scan of a matrix-covered skull confirmed these unique characters, as well as that the pharyngeal teeth are either absent or not well formed. A series of phylogenetic analyses, using parsimony criteria and morphological characters, consistently recovers †Jianghanichthys in a polytomy with the non-loach cypriniform families, but it could not be placed within any recent family. Among osteological characters, few unique synapomorphies are shared by Jianghanichthys and recent families of Cypriniformes, whereas a large number of symplesiomorphies with the Catostomidae, Cyprinidae, and Gyrinocheilidae were found, indicating that Jianghanichthys is a stem taxon of Cypriniformes. Therefore, the first family of Cypriniformes known only from fossils, †Jianghanichthyidae, is erected to contain this Eocene cypriniform fish. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:42C2E6E4-9E85-406B-A892-8998735F200DCitation for this article: Liu, J., M.-M. Chang, M. V. H. Wilson, and A. M. Murray. 2015. A new family of Cypriniformes (Teleostei, Ostariophysi) based on a redescription of †Jianghanichthys hubeiensis (Lei, 1977) from the Eocene Yangxi Formation of China. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2015.1004073.

A new Early Cretaceous coelacanth from Texas

Coelacanths have a long fossil record spanning from Early Devonian to the present globally, but until now only from Permian and Triassic sediments in Texas. Reported here is a partial skull, including an articulated lower jaw and disarticulated cranial elements, of a new coelacanth fish (Sarcopterygii: Actinistia) from the Early Cretaceous (Albian) of northern Texas. The presence of a single large pore opening for the supraorbital sensory canal, lack of ornamentation of the cheek and opercular bones, the presence of a few large pore openings in the cheekbones (five or less in the lachrymojugal, one in the other cheekbones) and the presence of small teeth are characters placing this specimen within a new clade along with the genera Libys, Ticinepomis and Diplurus. An upturned symphysis, unornamented gular plates whose posterior margins taper to points, and angular with sinuous dorsal edges reaching the same dorsal extent as the dentary are characters that make this specimen morphologically unique among the new clade. This specimen represents a new species here named as Reidus hilli.

Homology between the recessus lateralis and cephalic sensory canals, with the proposition of additional synapomorphies for the Clupeiformes and the Clupeoidei

The recessus lateralis, a complex structure in the otic region of the skull that is probably associated with detection and analysis of small vibrational pressures and displacements, is widely recognized as a synapomorphy of the Clupeiformes. The Clupeiformes includes the Denticipitoidei, with one living species, Denticeps clupeoides, and the Clupeoidei, with about 360 living species commonly known as herrings and anchovies. Comparisons between details of the recessus lateralis of the Clupeoidei and Denticipitoidei, and the sensory cephalic canals of other teleosts, lead to hypotheses of a series of transformations of the cephalic sensory canals. Treating that complex as a single binary ‘presence vs. absence’ character as was traditional practice obscures important phylogenetically informative variation. Specific synapomorphies in that system exist for the Clupeiformes and the Clupeoidei. Hypothesized synapomorphies in the recessus lateralis for the Clupeiformes are the presence of a dilated internal temporal sensory canal in the pterotic, a postorbital branch of the supraorbital sensory canal located in a bony groove in the lateral wing of the frontal, and the terminal portions of preopercular and infraorbital sensory canals closely positioned. Hypothesized synapomorphies for the Clupeoidei are the presence of a postorbital branch of the supraorbital sensory canal located deep within the body of the lateral wing of the frontal, with the distal portion of that branch totally internal on the cranium, and the expanded distal portion of the postorbital branch of the supraorbital sensory canal. The homology of the sinus temporalis of Clupeoidei, and of the dermosphenotic of both Denticeps and the Clupeoidei, with those of other teleosts is also considered. © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2004, 141, 257‐270. ADDITIONAL KEYWORDS: accessory temporal canal ‐ basal teleosts ‐ character complex ‐ Denticipitoidei ‐ dermosphenotics ‐ sinus temporalis.

A new sculpin, Microcottus matuaensis , from the central Kuril Archipelago (Scorpaeniformes: Cottidae)

A new cottid species, Microcottus matuaensis, is described on the basis of 16 specimens (27.9–81.3 mm SL) collected from tide pools of Matua Island, central Kuril Archipelago. This species is the second species of the genus Microcottus, and is distinguished from M. sellaris in having three pairs of distinct bony tubercles on the dorsal surface of occiput, a deeply concave interorbital space, and absence of the first pore of the supraorbital sensory canal.

Farinichthys gigas, a new albulid fish (Teleostei: Elopomorpha) from the Paleocene of the Pernambuco-Paraiba Basin, northeastern Brazil

ABSTRACT In Brazil, albuloid fishes have only been found in the Cretaceous of Chapada do Araripe, Northeastern Brazil, particularly in the Romualdo Member, Santana Formation. In this paper we describe †Farinichthys gigas, gen. et sp. nov., a large albuloid fish from the Paleocene of the Maria Farinha Formation, Pernambuco–Paraiba Basin, based on a large skull, disarticulated Suspensorium and isolated vertebrae. The fish is the most complete fossil vertebrate hitherto obtained from that formation and the oldest record of Albulidae in South America. It is preserved in a clay marl in association with bivalve and gastropod shells, brachyuran and echinoid carapaces, and insects, in addition to fish and reptile remains. Regarding other known albulids (e.g., Albula, †Deltaichthys and †Lebonichthys), the new genus differs mainly by the absence of contact between the epioccipital and the parietal bones, a very elongate ventral process of the quadrate, an oblique groove on the external surface of the hyomandibula, and a parietal branch of the supraorbital sensory canal directed towards the parietal without reaching it. The presence of an ossified interorbital septum, an elongate horizontal preopercular arm, and the ascending process of the subopercle reaching the articular facet for the hyomandibula define a clade formed by †Farinichthys gigas plus Albula. It suggests an extension of the minimal age of this clade to the Paleocene (Danian).

A new porolepiform-like fish, Psarolepis romeri, gen. et sp. nov. (Sarcopterygii, Osteichthyes) from the Lower Devonian of Yunnan, China

ABSTRACT A new sarcopterygian fish, Psarolepis, gen. nov. (Sarcopterygii, Osteichthyes) is described from the Lower Devonian of Eastern Yunnan, China. The new genus manifests many porolepiform-like features that are commonly used to distinguish porolepiforms from osteolepiforms, such as internasal cavity well developed, parasphenoid not protruding forward to ethmoidal region, vomeral area rectangular in shape and not meeting at median line, dorsal part of interorbital wall broad and tectum orbitale well developed, external surface of lower jaw with three large fossae, and well developed parasymphysial plates at anterior tip of lower jaws. This new form also shares some features with Powichthys, Youngolepis and Diabolepis that are not found in typical porolepiforms, such as intracranial joint situated at the level of the trigeminal exit, posterior face of ethmosphenoid facing posteroventrally, X-type skull table, and sutures always visible between premaxilla and the rest of the frontoethmoidal shield. Unique features of the new form include: complete lack of ventral or ventrolateral endoskeletal opening of the nasal cavity; extremely short sphenoidal region; presence of postorbital pillar flanking lateral cranial wall; supraorbital sensory canal not reaching anterior part of snout; median rostral toothed and taking part in upper jaw margin; and lower jaw with five coronoids. This new form probably represents a basal member of the clade that includes Powichthys, Youngolepis, Diabolepis and Dipnoi (=Dipnoiformes of Cloutier, 1990). The unusual character combination raises interesting questions about the interrelationship of the Dipnomorpha (sensu Ahlberg, 1991) and helps to illustrate the possible character transformation sequence of the stem lineage of dipnoans.

A Pennsylvanian aeduelliform (Osteichthyes, Actinopterygii) from North America with comments on aeduelliform interrelationships

A specimen assignable to the lower actinopterygian order Aeduelliformes (Family Aeduellidae) is reported from the Upper Pennsylvanian (Virgilian) Wild Cow Formation of central New Mexico, USA. This is the first record outside of Europe. Based on the reduction of the branchiostegal series, lateral position of the supraorbital sensory canal, and distinctive pattern of dermal ornamentation, the Aeduelliformes is monophyletic. The group is indeterminate in position between palaeonisciform actinopterygians and ginglymodians.

The Homalopterid Skull

Summary. The skull of the homalopterid fishes is generally flattened and is compactly built. The upper lip is supported by a set of two pairs of bones in Bhavania and Balitora (laerimojugal and rostral) and a single large one in Gastromyzon (lacrimojugal‐rostral). The median limb of the premaxilla in Bhavania and Balitora sits on the median rostral, which is an ossification in the fused anterior upper labials; in Gastromyzon the median limbs are anterior to the cruciform median rostral. From the ethmoid, with which probably the supraethmoid is also fused, processes are given off anterolaterally for articulation with the preethmoid bones, long and cylindrical in Bhavania and Balitora. Sitting upon these pre‐ethmoids, is the lateral rostral in Bhavania and Balitora; in Gastromyzon the lateral rostral articulates anteriorly to the pre‐ethmoid. The lateral ethmoids are large bones supporting lacrimojugals or lacrimojugal‐rostrals. There is a supraorbital sensory canal passing in the frontal and nasal; only in Gastromyzon is there an independent supraorbital sensory canal bone near the sphenotic. The suborbital sensory canal passing through a series of tubular sensory bones ends in the rostral (Bhavania and Balitora) or beside the lacrimojugal‐rostral as in Gastromyzon. In the latter genus there is also a set of four mandibular canal bones starting from the postorbital. In Bhavania and Balitora the sensory canal runs partly in the pterotic bone; by the side of the sphenotic there are two sensory canal ossicles in Bhavania and one in Balitora, while in Gastromyzon there are four ossicles by the side of the sphenotic and pterotic, and no part of the sensory canal passes through the latter bone. Behind the pterotic, both in Bhavania and Balitora, there are three extra‐scapulars, two of which are canaliculated; in Gastromyzon there is only one extrascapular corresponding to the lateral extrascapular of the other forms leading the lateral line sensory canal. Of the otic bones, the prootic, pterotic, sphenotic, and epiotic are separate ossifications; the opisthotic seems to have merged with the exoccipital. It is not known if the pterotic represents a compound bone with the sensory canal bone merged with it in Bhavania and Balitora. The broad post‐temporal comes in contact with the posterior face of the pterotic and with the upper surface of the cleithrum. The cleithrum comes in intimate contact with the enlarged first vertebra and the latter is also firmly articulated with the occipital condyles. A preopercular is absent in Bhavania and Gastromyzon; in Balitoraa preopercular and a tubular sensory canal bone in front of it are present, but a symplectic is absent. A hitherto unnoticed bone in contact with the posterior limb of the quadrate in the upper jaw of modern fishes, and called by me the “posterior ectopterygoid” and generally articulating with the metaptery‐goid is recorded in all the three genera of Homalopteridae studied. While a subtemporal fossa is prominently noticed in Bhavania and Balitora, it is absent in Gastromyzon. A retroarticular is prominently noticed in the lower jaw of Bhavania and Balitora; in Gastromyzon a retroarticular is absent and a sesamoid angular (sesamoid articular) is well developed. In front of the sesamoid angular in Gastromyzon there is a small scale‐like sesamoid bone, which is, however, absent in Bhavania and Balitora.