2026 in paleoichthyology

Last updated

This list records new taxa of fossil fish that were announced or described in 2026. Other peer-reviewed publications on discoveries related to fish paleontology which occurred in that year are also detailed here.

Contents

Jawless vertebrates

NameNoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImages

Asioaspis [1]

Gen. et sp. nov

Zhang et al.

Devonian (Lochkovian)

Xishancun Formation

Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China

A member of Galeaspida belonging to the group Polybranchiaspiformes. The type species is A. brachyotus.

Xihaiaspis [2]

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Zhang et al.

Silurian (Telychian)

Qingshui Formation

Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China

A member of Galeaspida belonging to the family Dayongaspidae. The type species is X. wuningensis.

Jawless vertebrate research

Cartilaginous fishes

NameNoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImages

Lonchidionoides [5]

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Vullo et al.

Cretaceous (Barremian–Cenomanian)

Tiout Formation

Flag of Algeria.svg Algeria
Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil

A member of Hybodontiformes belonging to the family Lonchidiidae. The type species is L. trifurcatum.

Lonchidionoides trifurcatum teeth from Garet El Hemmam.png

Parvodus graciliani [6]

Sp. nov

Ribeiro & França

Late Jurassic

Aliança Formation

Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil

A member of Hybodontiformes belonging to the family Lonchidiidae.

Parvodus graciliani holotype tooth.jpg

Polyacrodus microdon [7]

Sp. nov

Wen et al.

Early Triassic

Luolou Formation

Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China

A member of Hybodontiformes.

Cartilaginous fish research

Ray-finned fishes

NameNoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityLocationNotesImages

Aijaichthys [16]

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Ordóñez et al.

Late Jurassic (Tithonian)

Tinajones Formation

Flag of Peru.svg Peru

A member of Ellimmichthyiformes belonging to the family Ancashichthyidae. The type species is A. brevis Ordóñez & Arratia.

Ancashichthys [16]

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Ordóñez et al.

Late Jurassic (Tithonian)

Tinajones Formation

Flag of Peru.svg Peru

A member of Ellimmichthyiformes, the type genus of the new family Ancashichthyidae. The type species is A. peruensis Ordóñez & Arratia.

Coryphaenoides richi [17]

Sp. nov

Valid

Schwarzhans, Moritz & Goedert

Oligocene

Makah Formation

Flag of the United States.svg United States
(Flag of Washington.svg Washington)

A species of Coryphaenoides .

Gondwanacanthus [18]

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Ribeiro et al.

Early Cretaceous

Morro do Chaves Formation

Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil

A member of Acanthomorpha of uncertain affinities. The type species is G. decollatus.

Gondwanacanthus decollatus skeletal diagram.jpg

Ikawaihere [19]

Gen. et sp. nov

Gottfried et al.

Late Paleocene or Early Eocene

Red Bluff Tuff Formation

Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand (Flag of Chatham Islands.svg Chatham Islands)

A member of the family Megalopidae. The type species is I. koehleri.

Orthocormus gushchinae [20]

Sp. nov

Kanarkina, Zverkov & Varenov

Late Jurassic

Flag of Russia.svg Russia

Ostenolepis [21]

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Franceschi, Marramà & Carnevale

Early Jurassic (Sinemurian)

Moltrasio Formation

Flag of Italy.svg Italy

A member of Palaeoniscimorpha. The type species is O. marianii.

Ostenolepis Fully Body.png

Paleohoplias amazonensis [22]

Sp. nov

Decat et al.

Miocene

Solimões Formation

Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil

A member of the family Erythrinidae.

Paralbula carlae [23]

Sp. nov

Pimentel et al.

Late Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian)

Flag of Portugal (official).svg Portugal

A member of Elopiformes belonging to the family Phyllodontidae.

Paraorthocormus [20]

Gen. et comb. nov

Kanarkina, Zverkov & Varenov

Middle Jurassic (Callovian)

Oxford Clay Formation

Flag of England.svg England

A member of Pachycormiformes belonging to the family Protosphyraenidae. The type species is "Hypsocormus" tenuirostris Woodward (1889)

Peripeltopleurus jurassicus [21]

Sp. nov

Valid

Franceschi, Marramà & Carnevale

Early Jurassic (Sinemurian)

Moltrasio Formation

Flag of Italy.svg Italy

Pholidolepis teruzzii [21]

Sp. nov

Valid

Franceschi, Marramà & Carnevale

Early Jurassic (Sinemurian)

Moltrasio Formation

Flag of Italy.svg Italy

Zealandorhynchus [24] Gen. et sp. novRust et al.Eocene Kurinui Formation Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand A billfish. The type species is Z. fordycei. Announced in 2025; the final article version was published in 2026.

Ray-finned fish research

Lobe-finned fishes

NameNoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityLocationNotesImages

Amazinyomakhulu [32]

Gen. et sp. nov

Gess & Ahlberg

Devonian (Famennian)

Witpoort Formation

Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa

A member of the family Onychodontidae. The type species is A. mallinsonia.

Amazinyomakhulu.jpg

Loreleia [33]

Gen. et sp. nov

Manuelli et al.

Middle Triassic

Calcaire à Cératites Formation

Flag of France.svg France

A coelacanth belonging to the group Latimerioidei. The type species is L. eucingulata.

Loreleia eucingulata (holotype, MHNG-GEPI-V5789).png

Lobe-finned fish research

General research

References

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  2. Zhang, Y.; Shan, X.; Lin, X.; Gai, Z.; Donoghue, P. C. J. (2026). "A New Dayongaspid Galeaspid from the Silurian of the Lower Yangtze Region: Implications for Biogeography and the Evolution of Key Adaptations in Galeaspids". Journal of Earth Science. 37 (1): 303–316. doi:10.1007/s12583-026-0504-6.
  3. Lei, X.; Zhang, S.; Cong, P.; Vinther, J.; Gabbott, S.; Wei, F.; Xu, X. (2026). "Four camera-type eyes in the earliest vertebrates from the Cambrian Period". Nature. 650 (8100): 150–155. doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09966-0. PMID   41565803.
  4. Reeves, J. C.; Wogelius, R. A.; Edwards, N. P.; Manning, P. L.; Sansom, R. S. (2026). "Early vertebrate biomineralization and eye structure determined by synchrotron X-ray analyses of Silurian jawless fish". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 293 (2063) 20252248. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2025.2248 . PMID   41592772.
  5. Vullo, R.; Fragoso, L. G. C.; Bittencourt, J. S.; Pérez-García, A.; Bouchemla, I.; Benyoucef, M. (2026). "A new genus of lonchidiid hybodontiform sharks from the Cretaceous of North Africa and South America". Geological Magazine. 163 e5. doi: 10.1017/S0016756825100484 .
  6. Ribeiro, L. S.; França, M. A. G. (2026). "A new species of Lonchidiidae (Hybodontiformes) from the Late Jurassic of Brazil (Aliança Formation, Jatobá Basin)". The Anatomical Record. doi: 10.1002/ar.70120 . PMID   41498584.
  7. Wen, W.; Zhou, C.; Zhang, Q.; Hu, S.; Min, X. (2026). "New Discoveries of Chondrichthyan Microfossils from the Lower Triassic Luolou Formation in Daying Area,Ziyun County,Guizhou Province". Acta Palaeontologica Sinica. doi:10.19800/j.cnki.aps.2024046.
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  16. 1 2 Ordóñez, E. K.; Arratia, G.; Tejada, L.; Chacaltana, C. (2026). "Oldest †ellimmichthyiform fishes from Peru and the early radiation of Clupei". Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan. 37 (5): 93–115. doi:10.7302/28315.
  17. Schwarzhans, W. W.; Moritz, T.; Goedert, J. L. (2026). "Coryphaenoides richi sp. nov. (Macrouridae, Teleostei) from the deep-marine, Oligocene Makah Formation of Washington State, U.S.A." Zitteliana. 100: 31–38. doi: 10.3897/zitteliana.100.182311 .
  18. Ribeiro, A. C.; Mayrinck, D.; Bockmann, F. A.; Pinna, M. (2026). "The oldest acanthomorph fossil (Actinopterygii, Teleostei) from the Early Cretaceous of Gondwana (Morro do Chaves Formation, Sergipe–Alagoas Basin, NE Brazil)". Papers in Palaeontology. 12 (1) e70072. doi: 10.1002/spp2.70072 .
  19. Gottfried, M. D.; Fordyce, R. E.; Robinson, J. H.; Lee, D. E. (2026). "A New Tarpon-Like Fish (Elopomorpha, Megalopidae) With Exceptional Preservation and Unusual Features From the Paleogene of Pitt Island, Chatham Islands, New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics. 69 (1) e70022. doi:10.1002/jgo2.70022.
  20. 1 2 Kanarkina, A.; Zverkov, N. G.; Varenov, D. V. (2026). "A new species of the Late Jurassic pachycormiform fish Orthocormus and comments on the beta taxonomy and phylogenetic systematics of the Pachycormiformes". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 206 (2) zlag009. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlag009.
  21. 1 2 3 Franceschi, F.; Marramà, G.; Carnevale, G. (2026). "Bony fishes (Osteichthyes) from the Sinemurian (Jurassic) Osteno Konservat-Lagerstätte (Como, NW Italy)". Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia. 132 (1): 9–58. doi:10.54103/2039-4942/29058.
  22. Decat, B.; Aguilera, O.; Silva, R. C.; Araújo, O. O.; De Gracia, C.; Lopes, R. T. (2026). "Fossil record and paleogeography of Erythrinidae (Characiformes): new fossil evidence of Paleohoplias from Solimões Formation". Journal of South American Earth Sciences 105957. doi:10.1016/j.jsames.2026.105957.
  23. Pimentel, R. J.; Barroso-Barcenilla, F.; Berrocal-Casero, M.; Callapez, P. M. (2026). "Paralbulinae (Elopiformes: Phyllodontidae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Iberian Peninsula: description of a new Paralbula species from the upper Campanian-Maastrichtian of Portugal". Cretaceous Research 106343. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2026.106343.
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  31. Kovalchuk, Oleksandr; Tuzyak, Yaryna; Gorobets, Leonid; Yanenko, Vadym; Świdnicka, Ewa; Dubikovska, Anastasiia; Stefaniak, Krzysztof; Barkaszi, Zoltán (2026-01-02). "A new Sarmatian (late Middle Miocene) vertebrate assemblage from the periphery of the Forecarpathian Basin" . Historical Biology. 38 (1): 279–291. doi:10.1080/08912963.2025.2461156. ISSN   0891-2963.
  32. Gess, R. W.; Ahlberg, P. E. (2026). "High paleolatitude onychodont and rhizodont remains from the upper Famennian (Upper Devonian) Waterloo Farm lagerstätte of South Africa". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology e2576738. doi: 10.1080/02724634.2025.2576738 .
  33. Manuelli, L.; Clément, G.; Herbin, M.; Fritzsch, B.; Ahlberg, P. E.; Dollman, K.; Cavin, L. (2026). "A dual respiratory and auditory function for the coelacanth lung". Communications Biology. doi: 10.1038/s42003-026-09708-6 .
  34. Pawlak, W.; Tałanda, M.; Sulej, T.; Qvarnström, M.; Niedźwiedzki, G. (2026). "High-latitude dipnoan aestivation burrows suggest seasonal aridity for early dinosaur ecosystems in the Late Triassic of East Greenland". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 113624. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2026.113624.
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  37. Xian, Z.-M.; Mo, X.; Guan, Q.; Zhao, Y.-T.; Xue, Q.-Y.; Li, Q.; Liu, J.-P.; Zhu, M. (2026). "Early Devonian fish material from Posongchong Formation of Guangnan, Yunnan, China". Vertebrata PalAsiatica. doi:10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.260206.
  38. Jobbins, M.; Mondéjar Fernández, J.; Durkin, P.; Louro Silva, R.; Brink, K. (2026). "Early vertebrate diversity of the Elm Point Formation of Manitoba, Canada, and evidence of fish faunal diversification in the Middle Devonian of North America". Canadian Journal of Zoology. doi:10.1139/cjz-2025-0113.
  39. Comans, C. M.; Tobin, T. S.; Totten, R. L. (2026). "Evidence for endothermy from tooth enamel(oid) oxygen isotopes in marine predators of the Late Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway, USA". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 113578. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2026.113578.
  40. Crothers, J.; Eberle, J.; Brinkman, D.; Wurtz, A.; Heckert, A. B.; Hunt-Foster, R. K.; Foster, J. R.; Dirkes, I. C.; Dunn, R. (2026). "An actinopterygian-dominated fish fauna from the Upper Cretaceous Williams Fork Formation, northwestern Colorado, and evidence for provinciality across Laramidia at the Campanian/Maastrichtian boundary". Cretaceous Research 106313. doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2026.106313 .