Eurolebias meridionalis (Gaudant, 1978)

Taxonomy

Pupfish, Killifish

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopteri Cope 1871
Order: Cyprinodontiformes Bertin, 1958
Family: Cyprinodontidae Gill, 1865
Genus: Eurolebias
Species: Eurolebias meridionalis
Author Citation (Gaudant, 1978)

Geological Time Scale

Eon: Phanerozoic
Era: Cenozoic
Period: Paleogene
Sub Period: None
Epoch: Oligocene
International Age: Chattian

Stratigraphy

Marnes de Bois d’Assons Formation

Provenance

Collector: T. Bastelberger
Date Collected: 06/01/1985
Acquired by: Field Collection

Dimensions

Length: 4 cm

Location

Manosque (Town)
Forcalquier (District)
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (Province)
France

• chattian
• eurolebias
• killifish
• manosque
• marnes de manosque
• prolebias
• pupfish
• tff-oilshale-ch27

Comments

Alternative name: Prolebias meridionalis Gaudant, 1987.

Diagnosis (after Costa, 2012): “Similar to other cyprinodontids by having: jaw dentition comprising single outer tooth row followed or not by few smaller teeth near symphyses; anterior and posterior portions of jaw suspensorium nearly parallel. Also similar to cyprinodontids by largest specimens being deep-bodied (body depth about 28–30 % standard length, vs. about 21 –26 % standard length in other Oligocene killifish taxa). It differs from all other cyprinodontids by having long, almost rectangular premaxillary ascending process, (vs. short, sharp, almost triangular), long proximal part of parhypural overlapping preural centrum 1 (vs. not overlapping), well-developed parietals (vs. absent), dentary not expanded ventrally (vs. expanded) and absence of distinctive groove on dorsal maxillary process (vs. presence).”

Identified by oilshale according to Gaudant, 1978: Long, almost rectangular premaxillary ascending process, dorsal fin and anal with 16 Lepidotrichia, anal fin starting slightly behind the beginning of the dorsal fin, pectoral fin with 13 fin rays.

References:
Costa, Wilson J. E. M. (2012).  Oligocene killifishes (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes) from southern France: relationships, taxonomic position, and evidence of internal fertilization. Vertebrate Zoology 62 (3), pp. 371–386.
Gaudant, Jean (1978). Sur une nouvelle espèce de Poissons Téléostéens Cyprinodontiformes de l'Oligocène des environs de Manosque (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence). Géologie Méditerranéenne,  5-2,  pp. 281-289.
https://www.persee.fr/doc/geolm_0397-2844_1978_num_5_2_1050