Chauliopareion mahengeense, Murray & Wilson, 2005, Murray & Wilson, 2005

Murray, Alison M. & Wilson, Mark V. H., 2005, Description of a new Eocene osteoglossid fish and additional information on † Singida jacksonoides Greenwood and Patterson, 1967 (Osteoglossomorpha), with an assessment of their phylogenetic relationships, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 144 (2), pp. 213-228 : 214-215

† CHAULIOPAREION MAHENGEENSE GEN. ET SP. NOV.

( FIG. 1 ).

Diagnosis. Osteoglossid fish with a large orbit exposing the toothed entopterygoid, preopercle extending forward almost to the level of the midpoint of the orbit, articulation of the anguloarticular and quadrate just posterior to the level of the midpoint of the orbit, the angle formed by the maxilla and dentary anterior to the level of the midpoint of the orbit, and the posterior end of the maxilla lying on the dentary. Distinguished from † Brychaetus , † Phareodus and † Cretophareodus by the lack of reticulate scales in the new species; from † Sinoglossus , Heterotis , Arapaima , † Laeliichthys and † Joffrichthys by the presence of an enlarged, long unbranched ray in the pectoral fin of the new species, and from Scleropages , Osteoglossum , Pantodon and † Singida by the articulation of the jaws being almost under the level of the midpoint of the orbit as opposed to more posteriorly placed, and the horizontal arm of the preopercle being of similar length to the vertical arm.

Holotype: WM 490/96, an almost complete specimen but lacking the caudal fin.

Figures

Figure 1. †Chauliopareion mahengeense gen. et sp. nov. A, holotype WM 490/96. B, paratype WM 311/96. Scale bars = 1 cm.