Syngnathus emeritus Fritzsche, 1980

Taxonomy

Pipefish

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata Haeckel, 1874
Class: Actinopteri Cope, 1871
Order: Syngnathiformes
Family: Syngnathidae Rafinesque, 1810
Genus: Syngnathus
Species: Syngnathus emeritus
Author Citation Fritzsche, 1980

Geological Time Scale

Eon: Phanerozoic
Era: Cenozoic
Period: Neogene
Sub Period: None
Epoch: Miocene

Stratigraphy

Monterey Formation

Provenance

Acquired by: Purchase/Trade

Dimensions

Length: 19 cm

Location

Dixie Canyon
Santa Barbara County
California
United States

• california
• miocene
• monterey formation
• santa barbara
• syngnathus
• tff-oilshale-ch163

Comments

Taxonomy according to Fossilworks.org.

Fritzsche 1980, p. 218 :
"Diagnosis.- A Syngnathus with 43-47 dorsal rays; 10 caudal rays; pectoral rays not detectable; 14-15 trunk rings; 51 tail rings; snout 1.5-1.8 in head; orbit 5.8-8.7 in head; brood pouch not seen; largest specimen examined 181mm SL.
Description.- Ridges of body smooth and generally not accentuated. Osteology basically the same as in extant species of Syngnathus. Plates small, width of trunk plate less than orbit diameter. Dorsal about as high as depth of adjacent body.
Comparisons.- S. emeritus is unusual in having 15 trunk rings combined with 51 tail rings. These characters and the number of dorsal rays distinguish it from S. avus."

Identified by oilshale using Fritzsche 1980.

References:

Fritzsche, R. A. (1980) Revision of the eastern Pacific Syngnathidae (Pisces: Syngnathiformes), including both recent and fossil forms - Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences (42), 181-227.

Wilson, A. B. and Orr, J. W. (2011) The evolutionary origins of Syngnathidae: pipefishes and seahorses. Publications, Agencies and Staff of the U.S. Department of Commerce. 331. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usdeptcommercepub/331 Journal of Fish Biology 78, 1603–1623 doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2011.02988.x