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Enigmatic spiny‐rayed fish from the Eocene of Monte Bolca, Italy
Author(s) -
Bannikov Alexandre F.,
Carnevale Giorgio
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
geological journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.721
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1099-1034
pISSN - 0072-1050
DOI - 10.1002/gj.1255
Subject(s) - incertae sedis , taxon , genus , benthic zone , paleontology , fish <actinopterygii> , sister group , character (mathematics) , biology , zoology , phylogenetic tree , clade , ecology , fishery , mathematics , biochemistry , geometry , gene
A new genus and species of percomorph fish, Pietschellus aenigmaticus gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Eocene (Ypresian) micritic limestone of the Monte Postale site of the Monte Bolca locality, northern Italy. This new percomorph taxon is based on a single well‐preserved nearly complete specimen that exhibits a unique combination of features. A detailed comparative analysis indicates that Pietschellus possibly was a benthic fish which shares several character states with certain lophiiform, callionymoid, trachinoid, blennioid, pterygocephalid, cottoid and scorpaenoid taxa. Most of these shared character states, however, are reductive and seem to be related to the convergent benthic lifestyle and/or to the relative elongation of the body, being the product of parallel or convergent evolution. Therefore, the present evidence does not favour any sister‐group relationship and, as a consequence, Pietschellus is placed as incertae sedis within the percomorph fishes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.