Taubateia, Malabarba & Lundberg, 2007

Malabarba, Maria Claudia & Lundberg, John G., 2007, A fossil loricariid catfish (Siluriformes: Loricarioidea) from the Taubaté Basin, eastern Brazil, Neotropical Ichthyology 5 (3), pp. 263-270 : 264

Taubateia , new genus

Figs. 2-5

Type species. Taubateia paraiba , new species.

Diagnosis. Mesethmoid with shallow median cleft, flanked by reduced and anteriorly rounded cornua ( Fig. 4 ); mesethmoid ventral disk small, ball-shaped and subterminal ( Fig. 4 ); mesethmoid shaft wide ( Fig. 3a ); anterior tip of prevomer forms spike-like sutural joint with mesethmoid ( Fig. 3a ); posterolateral corner of the lateral ethmoid greatly expanded ( Figs. 2 , 3a ); ventral ridge on lateral ethmoid low and rounded ( Figs. 2 , 3a ); parasphenoid wide and flat ( Figs. 2 , 3a ); pterotic approximately square and widest at ventral margin( Figs. 2 , 3a , 5 ); transverse process of Weberian complex centrum not contacting the ossified transcapular ligament and reaching the border of the pterotic ( Fig. 5 ); ossified transcapular ligament forming a short transverse shelf medially reaching the basiocciptal lateral process ( Fig. 5 ); aortic groove extending at least to the ninth vertebrae ( Fig. 3a ); absence of pleural ribs posterior to sixth vertebrae ( Fig. 2 ).

Etymology. Taubateia from the name Taubate, in reference to the basin where the fossil comes from, with the suffix “ ia ” from the Latin and Greek, denoting pertaining to; gender feminine.

Figures

Fig. 2. Taubateia paraiba, DGM 17-P, holotype. Shale slab with fossil impression from the Tremembé Formation, Taubaté Basin (a) and the cast in latex (b).

Fig. 3. Comparison between an interpretative drawing of Taubateia paraiba (a) and a Hypostomus sp. neurocranium (b), both in ventral view. Abbreviations: acm, articular condyle for metapterygoid; af, articular facet for rib on v6; ag, aortic groove; bl, basioccipital lateral process; bo, basioccipital; cc, Weberian complex centrum; ex, exoccipital; exf, exoccipital foramina; fr, frontal; le, lateral ethmoid; ler, lateral ethmoid ridge for metapterygoid; me, mesethmoid; md, mesethmoid disk; os, orbitosphenoid; pr, prootic; ps, parasphenoid; pt, pterotic-supracleithrum; rb, rib; sp, sphenotic?; trl, transcapular ligament; tvp, transverse process of the Weberian compound centrum; v6, sixth vertebrae.

Fig. 4. Taubateia paraiba, most anterior part of the neurocranium showing mesethmoid features: a, original fossil impression sprinkled with ammonium chloride; b, cast in latex sprinkled with ammonium chloride. Abbreviations: ac, mesethmoid anterior cornua; mc, mesethmoid crest; md, mesethmoid disk; me, mesethmoid; mmc, mesethmoid median cleft.

Fig. 5. Taubateia paraiba, posterior region of the neurocranium and first vertebrae articulated: a, fossil sprinkled with ammonium chloride; b, interpretativedrawing.Abbreviations: af,articular facet forrib on v6; ag, aorticgroove; bl, basioccipital lateral process; bo, basioccipital; cc, Weberian complex centrum; ex, exoccipital; exf, exoccipital foramina; hbf, hyomandibular branch of facial nerve foramen; pr, prootic; pt, pterotic-supracleithrum; tgf, trigeminofacial foramen; v6, sixth vertebrae.