Balistomorphus

Balistomorphus Temporal range: Early Oligocene [1] PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Restoration of B. ovalis
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Tetraodontiformes
Family:	Balistidae
Genus:	† Balistomorphus Gill, 1888
Species
B. orbiculatus(Heer, 1865) B. ovalis(Agassiz, 1842) B. spinosus(Agassiz, 1842)
Synonyms
†AcanthodermaAgassiz, 1842

Balistomorphus is an extinct genus of prehistoric triggerfish during the early Oligocene epoch in what is now Canton Glarus, Switzerland, where fossils are known from the Matt Formation. It inhabited the marine environment of the Paratethys. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

Fossil of B. ovalis, Natural History Museum of Neuchâtel

Fossil of B. cf. spinosus, Natural History Museum of Neuchatel

The following species are known. All were formerly placed in the preoccupied genus Acanthoderma: ^{[2] [5]}

• B. orbiculatus(Heer, 1865)
• B. ovalis(Agassiz, 1842)
• B. spinosus(Agassiz, 1842)

Woodward (1901) considered all species synonymous with B. spinosus, but later studies have retained them all as distinct. ^{[3] [5]}

See also

• Paleontology portal
• Fish portal

• Prehistoric fish
• List of prehistoric bony fish

References

1. Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
2. "PBDB". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
3. Bannikov, A. F.; Tyler, J. C. (2008-10-01). "A new genus and species of triggerfish from the Middle Eocene of the Northern Caucasus, the earliest member of the Balistidae (Tetraodontiformes)" . Paleontological Journal. 42 (6): 615–620. Bibcode:2008PalJ...42..615B. doi:10.1134/S0031030108060075. ISSN   1555-6174.
4. McCord, Charlene L.; Westneat, Mark W. (2016-01-01). "Phylogenetic relationships and the evolution of BMP4 in triggerfishes and filefishes (Balistoidea)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 94 (Pt A): 397–409. Bibcode:2016MolPE..94..397M. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2015.09.014 . ISSN   1055-7903. PMID   26408967.
5. Geology, British Museum (Natural History) Department of; Woodward, Arthur Smith (1901). Catalogue of the Fossil Fishes in the British Museum (Natural History): Actinopterygian Teleostomi of the suborders Isospondyli (in part), Ostariophysi, Apodes, Percesoces, Hemibranchii, Acanthopterygii, and Anacanthini. order of the Trustees.