| Eokrefftia Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Myctophiformes |
| Family: | Myctophidae |
| Genus: | † Eokrefftia Schwarzhans, 1985 |
| Type species | |
| †Eokrefftia prediaphus Schwarzhans, 1985 | |
| Species | |
| |
Eokrefftia ("dawn Krefftia ") is an extinct genus of lanternfish that inhabited the seas around Europe and Australia throughout the Paleogene. [1] [2] Known only from its distinctive fossilized otoliths, it appears to be one of the earliest definitive fossil members of the lanternfish lineage. It may belong to the extinct subfamily Eomyctophinae. [3]
The following species are known: [4]
- †E. paviaiSchwarzhans & Carnevale, 2024 - late Oligocene of Italy (Antognola Formation) [3]
- †E. prediaphusSchwarzhans, 1985 (type species) - late Paleocene of South Australia (Dartmoor Formation) [2]
- †E. sulci(Nolf, 1988) - Early to Late Eocene (Ypresian to Priabonian) of Italy (Marne di Monte Piano Formation), Middle Eocene (Lutetian) of France (Aquitaine Basin) [4] [5] (=Diaphus sulciNolf, 1988)
The otoliths of Eokrefftia can be easily confused with those of the extant lanternfish genus Diaphus , which are also present as fossils in the same deposits. [4]
