Thorectichthys marocensis Murray & Wilson, 2013

By oilshale (edited)

• December 20, 2016

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopteri Cope 1871
Order: Ellimmichthyiformes GRANDE, 1982
Family: Paraclupeidae CHANG & CHOU, 1977 (sensu ALVARADO-ORTEGA et al. 2008)
Genus: Thorectichthys
Species: Thorectichthys marocensis
Author Citation Murray & Wilson, 2013

Geological Time Scale

Eon: Phanerozoic
Era: Mesozoic
Period: Cretaceous
Sub Period: None
Epoch: Late
International Age: Cenomanian / Turonian

Stratigraphy

"Continental intercalaire" Group
Akrabou Formation

Provenance

Acquired by: Purchase/Trade

Dimensions

Length: 4 cm

Location

Gara es Sbâa
Tafraoute
Tiznit Province
Morocco

• akrabou formation
• gara es sbâa
• kem-kem
• morocco
• tafraoute
• tff-oilshale-ch415
• thorectichthys

Comments

There are two Thorectichthys species in Gara es Sbâa: The deep-bodied T. marocensis and the more slender T. rhadinus.

Etymology: Generic name from the Greek "thorectes", masculine, meaning a warrior armed with a breast plate, in reference to the abdominal scutes of the fish, and "ichthys" meaning fish.

Taxonomy from Murray and Wilson 2013.

Diagnosis for Thorectichthys marocensis from Murray and Wilson 2013, p. 269: "A deep-bodied fish with body depth being between 57 and 65 % of standard length, having a deeper body in relation to standard length than Ellimmichthys, Ellimma, ‘Diplomystus’ solignaci, Scutatuspinosus and Paraclupea, and having a less-deep body than Ezkutuberezi and Tycheroichthys. Rhombichthys as described varies in body depth with size. Eight scutes in predorsal series [compared to 7 in ‘D’. solignaci, or more than 9 in Paraclupea (18), Ellimmichthys (12-14), Ellimma branneri (12-13), Rhombichthys (12 or more), Scutatuspinosus (10-11), Tycheroichthys (16), and Triplomystus (12-13) [but 8 present in Ellimma cruzi, more than five in Ezkutuberezi]. The number of scutes and depth of body also distinguish it from the second new species in this genus."

Identified by oilshale using Murray and Wilson 2013.

References:
Murray, A. & Wilson M. (2013) Two new paraclupeid fishes (Clupeomorpha: Ellimmichthyiformes) from the Upper Cretaceous of Morocco. Mesozoic Fishes 5 – Global Diversity and Evolution, G. Arratia, H.-P. Schultze & M. V. H. Wilson (eds.): pp. 267-290, 8 figs., 2 tabs., 2 apps.