Ellimmichthyiformes Temporal range: | |
---|---|
Diplomystus dentatus from Wyoming | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Superorder: | Clupeomorpha |
Order: | † Ellimmichthyiformes Grande, 1982 |
Type genus | |
† Ellimmichthys Jordan, 1919 | |
Families | |
The Ellimmichthyiformes, also known as double-armored herrings, are an extinct order of ray-finned fish known from the Early Cretaceous to the Oligocene. They were the sister group to the extant true herrings, shad and anchovies in the order Clupeiformes, with both orders belonging to the suborder Clupeomorpha. [1]
A highly successful group throughout the Cretaceous, they were found worldwide and are known to have inhabited both marine and freshwater habitats. They appear to have been a largely marine group for most of their history, with the first freshwater lineages appearing during the Late Cretaceous. [2]
Shortly after the origin of the Ellimmichthyiformes in the Early Cretaceous, the Mediterranean portion of the Tethys Ocean appears to have been a major center of diversification for them, as the majority of fossils of this group are known from there. Following this, they saw an explosion in diversity during the Cenomanian, possibly due to the high sea levels of the Tethys at the time and the resulting impact on geography and food distribution, with the group evolving numerous different body plans. [2] [3] However, they were devastated by the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event and saw a drastic reduction in range. Only a few freshwater species in the genera Diplomystus and Guiclupea survived primarily in North America and China (although the unusual Gasteroclupea of South America appears to have briefly survived into the Paleocene), including Diplomystus dentatus of the famous Green River Formation. A few marine lineages survived in the Tethys Ocean near modern Italy, such as "Diplomystus" trebicianensis in the Paleocene and Eoellimichthys , the last marine ellimmichthyiform, during the Eocene. The last surviving ellimmichthyiform, Guiclupea, was a freshwater species that occurred in southern China during the Oligocene, representing the youngest member of the group. [3] [4]
The following families are known: [5] [1]
Other studies have found this division of families to be paraphyletic. [4]
Clupeiformes is the order of ray-finned fish that includes the herring family, Clupeidae, and the anchovy family, Engraulidae and sardines. The group includes many of the most important forage and food fish.
Osteoglossidae is a family of large-sized freshwater fish, which includes the arowanas. They are commonly known as bonytongues. The family has been regarded as containing two extant subfamilies Arapaiminae and Osteoglossinae, with a total of five living genera, but these are regarded as valid families in Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes The extinct Phareodontinae are known from worldwide during the Late Cretaceous and Paleogene; they are generally considered to be crown group osteoglossids that are more closely related to one of the extant osteoglossid subfamilies than the other, though their exact position varies.
Diplomystus is an extinct genus of freshwater and marine clupeomorph fish distantly related to modern-day extant herrings, anchovies, and sardines. It is known from the United States, China, and Lebanon from the Late Cretaceous to the middle Eocene. Many other clupeomorph species from around the world were also formerly placed in the genus, due to it being a former wastebasket taxon. It was among the last surviving members of the formerly-diverse order Ellimmichthyiformes, with only its close relative Guiclupea living for longer.
Gasteroclupea is a genus of prehistoric ellimmichthyiform fish that is distantly related to modern anchovies and herrings. It contains one species, G. branisai. It inhabited freshwater or estuarine habitats across South America during the Campanian and Maastrichtian stages of the Late Cretaceous period, and it briefly survived beyond the K-Pg boundary into the Danian stage of the Paleocene, making it among the few genera from its order to survive into the Cenozoic. Fossils of the genus have been found in the Yacoraite Formation of Argentina, the Chaunaca Formation, Santa Lucía Formation, and El Molino Formation of Bolivia, and the Navay Formation in Venezuela.
Dussumieriidae is a family of clupeiform fishes popularly called the "round herrings". It is now recognized by FishBase as a family in its own right; it had been considered to be a subfamily of Clupeidae. It contains two extant genera, and some potential fossil genera. Possibly the earliest record of the group is Nardoclupea from the Campanian of Italy.
Eolamprogrammus is an extinct genus of prehistoric marine cusk-eel that lived during the earliest Eocene. It contains a single species, E. senectus from the earliest Ypresian-aged Danata Formation of Turkmenistan. It may potentially represent an early member of the Neobythitinae.
Coelogaster is an extinct genus of marine ray-finned fish that lived during the early Eocene. It contains a single species, C. leptostea, known from the famous Monte Bolca site of Italy.
Dapalis is an extinct genus of prehistoric glassfish known from the Middle Eocene to the Early Miocene. It is known from both freshwater and estuarine habitats of much of mainland Europe.
Platinx is an extinct genus of marine ray-finned fish that inhabited the northern Tethys Ocean during the early to middle Eocene. It was the last surviving member of the ancient order Crossognathiformes, which was a dominant and successful group throughout the preceding Mesozoic era.
Sorbinichthys is an extinct genus of clupeomorph bony fish from the Cenomanian of Lebanon and Morocco.
This list of fossil fishes described in 2015 is a list of new taxa of jawless vertebrates, placoderms, acanthodians, fossil cartilaginous fishes, bony fishes and other fishes of every kind that have been described during the year 2015, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to paleontology of fishes that occurred in the year 2015. The list only includes taxa at the level of genus or species.
The Alosidae, or the shads, are a family of clupeiform fishes. The family currently comprises four genera worldwide, and about 32 species.
This list of fossil fishes described in 2016 is a list of new taxa of jawless vertebrates, placoderms, acanthodians, fossil cartilaginous fishes, bony fishes and other fishes of every kind that have been described during the year 2016, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to paleontology of fishes that occurred in the year 2016. The list only includes taxa at the level of genus or species.
This list of fossil fishes described in 2017 is a list of new taxa of jawless vertebrates, placoderms, acanthodians, fossil cartilaginous fishes, bony fishes and other fishes of every kind that are scheduled to be described during the year 2017, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to paleontology of fishes that are scheduled to occur in the year 2017. The list only includes taxa at the level of genus or species.
Armigatus is an extinct genus of marine clupeomorph fishes belonging to the order Ellimmichthyiformes. These fishes lived in the Cretaceous ; their fossil remains have been found in Mexico, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, suggesting the genus ranged across the Tethys Sea.
Aulostomoidei is a superfamily of the order Syngnathiformes, which also contains groups such as the seahorses, pipefishes and dragonets. It is one of two superfamilies which make up the suborder Aulostomoidei within the Syngnathiformes.
This list of fossil fishes described in 2020 is a list of new taxa of jawless vertebrates, placoderms, acanthodians, fossil cartilaginous fishes, bony fishes, and other fishes of every kind that were described during the year 2020, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to paleoichthyology that occurred in 2020.
Horaclupea is an extinct genus of freshwater and estuarine ray-finned fish that inhabited the Indian subcontinent from the latest Cretaceous to the early Eocene. It was a clupeid, making it related to modern herrings and anchovies. It was named after Indian ichthyologist Sunder Lal Hora, who described the first species of the genus.
Ellimmichthys is an extinct genus of freshwater clupeomorph fish belonging to the order Ellimmichthyiformes, of which it is the type genus. It was a distant relative of modern herrings and anchovies. It inhabited freshwater rift lakes in the supercontinent of West Gondwana during the Early Cretaceous, and fossil remains are known from formations in both South America (Brazil) and Africa.
The Eocene-aged Monte Bolca fossil site near Verona, Italy was one of the first lagerstatte to be discovered to science, and still has one of the most prominent vertebrate faunas of all Cenozoic lagerstatte. It has the highest fish diversity of all known Cenozoic fossil sites, with many fossils having extremely detailed preservation. In addition, a very high diversity of marine invertebrates & land plants and a small number of land vertebrates are also known.