Parasphyraena Switchenska, 1968

Ballen, Gustavo A., 2019, Nomenclature of the Sphyraenidae (Teleostei: Carangaria): A synthesis of fossil- and extant-based classification systems, Zootaxa 4686 (3), pp. 397-408 : 402

Genus † Parasphyraena Switchenska, 1968

Type species: † Parasphyraena apscheronica Switchenska, 1968 .

Content: Monotypic.

Comments: This genus was briefly redescribed by Bannikov (2010) who noted that the pelvic fins are inserted at the level of insertion of the spinous, anterior dorsal fin (also see the pl. I, fig. 3 in Switchenska, 1968, p.57). This feature is also present in some species of Sphyraena where the pelvics are displaced backwards near or posterior to the insertion of the dorsal fin (e.g., in Sphyraena africana Smith, 1956 ). Given the fact that the ancestral condition in Sphyraena Artedi, 1793 is to have the pelvic fin inserts anterior to the dorsal fin (cf. Santini et al., 2015), this condition might be derived (as a reversal) among Sphyraenids and therefore Sphyraena may not be monophyletic with respect to † Parasphyraena Switchenska, 1968 . It is noteworthy that † Sphyraena pannonica Weiler, 1938 was diagnosed on the basis of the position of the pelvics as displaced anteriorly with respect to the condition observed in other species (the plesiomorphic condition for Sphyraena Artedi, 1793 ). This possibility requires further testing.