Phareodus

Phareodus is a genus of freshwater fish from the Paleocene to the Eocene of Australia, Europe and North and South America.

Phareodus
Temporal range: Paleocene-Eocene
~65–46 Ma
Phareodus testis fossil, at the Buffalo Museum of Science
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Osteoglossiformes
Family:
Osteoglossidae
Genus:
Phareodus

Leidy, 1873
Species
  • P. encaustus (type) Cope, 1871
  • P. muelleri
  • P. queenslandicus
  • P. testis (Leidy, 1873)
Synonyms

Dapedoglossus[1]

This genus includes at least four species,[2] P. testis (Leidy, 1873) and P. encaustus of North America, P. muelleri of Europe, and P. queenslandicus of Australia. Representatives have been found in the middle Eocene of Australia, Europe and North America, including the Green River Formation in Wyoming, United States.[1] Fossils of the genus have also been found in the Paleocene (Tiupampan) Santa Lucía Formation of Bolivia.

P. testis was a freshwater fish with an oval outline, a small head, and a slightly pointed snout. Its dorsal and anal fins were situated posteriorly, with the anal fin being larger. Its caudal fin was slightly forked. It had small pelvic fins but long, narrow pectoral fins.[1]

Phareodus encaustus, from Green River Formation, at the Fossil Butte National Monument

See also

References
  1. Frickhinger, Karl Albert (1995). Fossil Atlas: Fishes. Trans. Dr. R.P.S. Jefferies. Blacksburg, Virginia: Tetra Press.
  2. Li et all1997 "The species of †Phareodus (Teleostei: Osteoglossidae) from the Eocene of North America and their phylogenetic relationships." Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 17(3):487-505


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