Pericentrophorus minimus JÖRG, 1969

By oilshale (edited)

• February 1, 2017

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopteri Cope 1871
Order: Semionotiformes Arambourg and Bertin 1958
Family: Semionotidae
Genus: Pericentrophorus
Species: Pericentrophorus minimus
Author Citation JÖRG, 1969

Geological Time Scale

Eon: Phanerozoic
Era: Mesozoic
Period: Triassic
Sub Period: None
Epoch: Early

Stratigraphy

Bunter Group ("the colored one")
Plattensandstein Formation

Provenance

Acquired by: Purchase/Trade

Dimensions

Length: 4 cm

Location

Quarry "Hochstädt" near Durlach
Karlsruhe
Baden-Württemberg
Germany

• bunter
• durlach
• pericentrophorus
• plattensandstein
• tff-oilshale-ch1198
• triassic

Comments

Fossils and especially fishes in the Upper Bunter Formation in Germany are quite rare. But occasionally you can find fish gatherings.
In the mid '60ties, almost 60 of these Pericentrophorus minimus were found together with nearly 200 of these strange looking Dipteronotus aculeatus (JÖRG, 1969) in a small clay lens, just 10m in diameter and 30cm thick.

Diagnosis from Jörg, 1969, p. 94 (translated from german by oilshale): "Body low spindle-shaped, with almost straight dorsum. Dorsal line slightly depressed below dorsalis. Fin position as in genus Acentrophorus TRAQUAIR.  Maxillary shortened, but still extending far back under orbit almost to its posterior margin. Teeth pencil-shaped, small, parietalia proportionally long. Opercular apparatus well developed, with narrow, strongly curved and below somewhat anteriorly curved praeoperculum. Caudalis almost symmetrical, weakly indented. Along dorsum runs a row of short, bluntly domed ridge scales, posterior margins concave. Anterior flank scales twice as high as wide. Scaling of upper caudal lobe reduced posteriorly to a single row of scales covering lobe about half its length."
Line drawing from Jörg 1969, p. 96:

Identified by oilshale using Jörg 1969.

References:

Jörg, E. (1969) Fischfunde im Oberen Buntsandstein (Untertrias) von Karlsruhe-Durlach. Zeitschrift der Deutschen Geologischen Gesellschaft Band 121 (1969), p. 105 - 110.
Jörg, E. (1969): Eine Fischfauna aus dem Oberen Buntsandstein Unter-Trias von Karlsruhe-Durlach Norbaden. Beitraege zur Naturkundlichen Forschung in Suedwestdeutschland, 28: 87-102.

Gall, JC.; Grauvogel, L.; Lehman, JP.(1974): Faune du Buntsandstein. 5. Les poissons fossiles de la collection Grauvogel - Gall. Annales Paleont (Vert): 602: 127-168