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References: L. Agassiz (1839) Recherches Sur Les Poissons Fossiles. Tome IV (livr. 13). Imprimerie de Petitpierre, Neuchatel 109-204. Bannikov, A. F. ( 2014) The systematic composition of the Eocene actinopterygian fish fauna from Monte Bolca, northern Italy, as known to date. Studi e ricerche sui giacimenti terziari di Bolca, XV - Miscellanea paleontologica 12:23-34

Lates is a genus of freshwater and marine fish belonging to the order Perciformes. The lates species are now native to the Indian and western Pacific Oceans and to rivers and lakes in Africa. The lates species are generally carnivorous, feeding on invertebrates and other fish. The Nile perch, Lates niloticus, is one of the largest freshwater fish, it reaches a maximum length of nearly two metres (more than six feet), weighing up to 200 kg (440 lb).

Recent Sphyraenea barracuda, own work of Laban712 (from Wikipedia): The genus Sphyraena (from Latin: "pike-like") belongs to the order Perciformes. Members of the genus Sphyraena, better known as Barracudas, are elongated fish, pike-like in appearance, with large pointed heads and jaws. The two dorsal fins are widely separated with the anterior fin having five spines, the posterior fin having only one spine and nine soft rays. The posterior dorsal fin is similar in size to the anal fin and is situated above it. Barracudas normally have an under bite with prominent sharp-edged fang-like teeth in sockets. The oldest known barracuda fossil found so far dates to the Eocene period. All members of the genus Sphyraena are voracious predators; they feed upon cephalopods and crustaceans but mainly prey on fishes. Young barracudas can be often seen in small schools. Adult barracudas are considered to be solitary when it comes to hunting. The great barracuda can swim up to 35 mph, yet it can move forward slowly with no apparent effort; thus increasing its stealth. Barracuda are found primarily in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans, but certain species such as the Great Barracuda lives in brackish water.

Taxonomy from Fossilworks.org. The order Beryciformes, a poorly understood group, is represented in Monte Bolca with at least two species: Eoholocentrum and Berybolcensis, both from the subfamily Holocentrinae or squirrelfish (L. Sorbini, 1984). Both species seemed to be largely or entirely nocturnal and lived in deep marine waters; their eyes are amazingly large. References: Sorbini, L., 1979. Les Holocentridae du Monte Bolca. III. Berybolcensis leptacanthus (Agassiz). Studi e Richerche sui Giacimenti Terziari di Bolca 4, 19–35.

Diodon holocanthus, inflated (own work of Ibrahim lujaz from Rep. Of Maldives) Diodon nicthemerus (own work of user Springcold at da.wikipedia) Porcupinefish belong to the family Diodontidae within the Tetraodontiformes order and are also commonly called blowfish. They have the ability to swallow water or air and to inflate their body making it harder for predators to swallow them. When the fish inflates, sharp spines radiate outwards as a second defense mechanism. Some species are poisonous, having tetrodotoxin in their internal organs. Fugu is the Japanese word for pufferfish and is also a Japanese dish made out of the pufferfish meat. Because fugu is lethally poisonous if prepared incorrectly, fugu has become one of the most celebrated and notorious dishes in Japanese cuisine. Porcupinefish are medium to large sized fish and are found in shallow temperate and tropical seas worldwide. Monte Bolca is an important lagerstatte for Tetraodontiformes with Diodon tenuispinus as one of its oldest records. References: J. C. Tyler and F. Santini (2002) Review and reconstructions of the tetraodontiform fishes from the Eocene of Monte Bolca, Italy, with comments on related Tertiary taxa. Studi e Ricerche sui Giacimenti Terzari di Bolca. Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Verona 9:47-119.

Pesciarichthys baldwinae Sorbini & Tyler, 1998 was redescribed in 2012 by Bannikov & Tyler and the new genus Frigosorbinia established. Taxonomy from Fossilworks.org. Diagnosis from Bannikov and Tyler 1998, p. 27:" Body a deep ovoid in shape; head relatively small. Mouth small; teeth relatively small and lobate. Five branchiostegal rays. Vertebrae 22 (9 + 13); haemal spines of first two caudal vertebrae slender, oriented posteroventrally, and not in close proximity in their middle regions. Tenth caudal vertebra with elongate slender neural and haemal spines. One supraneural. Dorsal fin with eight spines and 23 soft rays. Both first dorsal-fin spine and first anal-fin spine protrude to exterior. Anal fin with three spines and 21 soft rays. Tenth interneural space with two basal pterygiophores; 11th space with one basal pterygiophore. First interhaemal space with two basal pterygiophores. Pelvic bone with relatively shallow subpelvic keel (12% of pelvic length). Scales very small over most of body and head. Each scale consists of a small basal plate with upright spinules. Larger rounded scale plates scattered posteriorly on body in region of caudal peduncle; these larger scales are densely spaced together and slightly more than twice the size of the small body scales elsewhere. Caudal peduncle with three moderate, fixed, keeled bony scutes." Line drawing from Sorbini & Tyler 1998, p. 25 : Identified by oilshale using Sorbini & Tyler 1998. References: Sorbini L. and Tyler, J. C. (1998) A new species of the Eocene surgeon fish genus Pesciarichthys from Monte Bolca, Italy, with comments on caudal penduncle armature and supraneurals in acanthurids. Studi e ricerche sui giacimenti terziari di Bolca 7:21-34. Bannikov. A. & Tyler, J.C. (2012): REDESCRIPTION OF THE EOCENE OF MONTE BOLCA, ITALY, SURGEON FISH PESCIARICHTHYS PUNCTATUS PERCIFORMES, ACANTHURIDAE, AND A NEW GENUS, FRIGOSORBINIA, FOR P. BALDWINAE. Studi e ricerche sui giacimenti terziari di bolca, XIV - Miscellanea Paleontologica, 11, 2012.

The entire, abundantly fossiliferous formation consists of 19 meters of limestone, all of which contains fossils, but interspersed in which are the lagerstätten layers that contain the highly preserved specimens. Within these layers, the fish and other specimens are so highly preserved that soft tissue preservation can is observable and even the skin color pattern can sometimes be determined. Taxonomy from Fossilworks.org. References: Blot, J. (1976) Les anguilliformes fossiles du Monte Bolca. 2e Congres Europeen des Ichtyologistes Europeens, Paris, 1976, Revue Trav. Inst. Pech. Marit., Nantes, 40 (3&4) 509-511, 1 tabl. Blot, J. (1978) Les apodes fossiles du Monte Bolca. Studi e Ricerche sui Giacimenti Terziari di Bolca, Verona 3 (1) 1-260, 120 fig, 21 tabl. 39pl. Blot, J. (1984): Les Apodes fossiles du Monte Bolca. 2. Actinopterygii : Ordre des Apodes (Anguilliformes): Famille des Paranguillidae Blot 1980. Museo civico di storia naturale di Verona, 1984, p. 62-238, 24 p. di tav.

Taxonomy from Fossilworks.org. Bannikov 2008 notes on p. 66 that "examination of the lectotype of Apogon spinosus resulted in the conclusion that the species name spinosus is a synonym of Acropoma lepidotum (syn. nov.)." For grammatical reasons, the species name is Acropoma lepidotum and not Acropoma lepidotus, as in Sorbini 1975. Corrected diagnosis for Acropoma lepidotum from Sorbini 1975, p. 178 (translated from Italian by oilshale): "Body moderately elongate, two separate dorsal fins, ventral margin arcuate. Teeth with slightly pointed apex on jaws and vomer, numerous pharyngeal teeth with rounded apex and caniniform. Posterior margin of preoperculum serrated, including angle. Operculum with two flat spines, subperculum serrated at upper margin. Branchiostegal rays long and thin. Spiniform rays of dorsalis thin, third and fourth rays longest, first and second spiniform rays of anal short, third long. Tail slightly forked. Scales large, weakly ctenoid. Line drawing from Sorbini 1975, p. 179: Identified by oilshale using Sorbini 1975. References: L. Agassiz (1836) Recherches Sur Les Poissons Fossiles. Tome IV (livr. 6). Imprimerie de Petitpierre, Neuchatel 53-108. L. SORBINI 1975 (1974). Studio paleontologico di Acropoma lepidotus (Agassiz). Pisces, Acropomidae. Miscellanea Paleontologica. Studi e Ricerche sui Giacimenti Terziari di Bolca, 2: 177-203. Bannikov A.F. (2005) New cardinalfishes (Perciformes, Apogonidae) from the Eocene of Bolca, northern Italy // Studi ric. giacim. terz. Bolca. Verona. V. XI. p. 119-140. Giuseppe Marramà, Alexandre F. Bannikov, James C. Tyler, Roberto Zorzin, Giorgio Carnevale (2016) Controlled excavations in the Pesciara and Monte Postale sites provide new insights about the palaeoecology and taphonomy of the fish assemblages of the Eocene Bolca Konservat-Lagerstätte, Italy. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 454 (2016) 228–245.

This is a Seriola prisca from the Pesciara of Monte Bolca, about 30 kilometers north-east of Verona in Italy. The length of this fish is 41cm or about 15". Outcrops of the middle Eocene of Monte Bolca, Italy, have long been known as a rich source of fish fossils from which a large number of taxa has been described (see e.g. Volta 1796). The main location is known as Pesciara or "Fishbowl" due to its many marine fossils. The sediments from Monte Bolca are from the Eocene epoch, the Lutetian, so the fish is about 50 million years old. The entire, abundantly fossiliferous formation consists of 19 meters of limestone, all of which contain fossils, but interspersed in which are the lagerstätten layers that contain the highly preserved specimens. Within these layers, the fish and other specimens are so highly preserved that soft tissue preservation can is observable and even the skin color pattern can sometimes be determined. There are several other related outcroppings in the general vicinity of Monte Bolca that also carry fossils, such as Monte Postale and Monte Vegroni. The term "Monte Bolca" is often used interchangeably to refer to all the sites collectively. The Monte Bolca deposits where formed in a lagoon which was separated from the open sea by coral reefs. During that time, there was considerable volcanic activity. The volcanoes on the nearby mainland erupted periodically, their lavas and ashes covering the land for some time, locally causing mass extinctions. The sediment is very fine grained limestone; the preservation suggests when the fish died it was rapidly buried in fine sediment that was anoxic. Seriola (or amberjacks) is a genus in the family Carangidae. This family includes jacks, pompanos, mackerels and scads. Seriola prisca is closely related to the living Almaco jack or Seriola rivoliana. The Almaco jack is a pelagic species that can be found in small groups on slopes and off of reefs at depths from 5 to 160 metres. Jacks are fast-swimming predatory fishes that hunt in the waters above reefs and in the open sea. Almaco jacks feed on other smaller fish and squids; it is very likely that the same behavior applies to Seriola prisca. References: Agassiz L., (1833-1843) Recherches sur les poissons fossiles, t. 5, part. 1, p. I-XII & 1-122. Blot J. (1969) Les poissons fossiles du Monte Bolca, sér. 2, t. 1 & 2, vol. 1, p. 540. Blot J. (1980) La faune ichthyologique des gisements du Monte Bolca (Province de Vérone, Italie). Bulletin du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle: 339-396, fasc. 4, sér. 4, t. 2, part. section C

This is not the "normal" Mene rhombea Volta, 1796, but a Mene oblonga Agassiz, 1833. For a menid it has a very shallow body, especially in comparison with the sympatric Mene rhombea (click here for comparison). Its fossils are very rare in Monte Bolca. The length of this fish is about 15cm; adult fish can reach almost 20cm. The location is known as Pesciara or "Fishbowl" due to its many marine fossils.The sediments from Monte Bolca are from the Eocene epoch, the Lutetian, so the fish is about 50 million years old. The entire, abundantly fossiliferous formation consists of 19 metres of limestone, all of which contain fossils, but interspersed in which are the lagerstätten layers that contain the highly preserved specimens. Within these layers, the fish and other specimens are so highly preserved that soft tissue preservation can is observable and even the skin colour pattern can sometimes be determined (see for example the photo of Paranguilla tigrina in "Collections"). There are several other related outcroppings in the general vicinity of Monte Bolca that also carry fossils, such as Monte Postale and Monte Vegroni. The term "Monte Bolca" is often used interchangeably to refer to all the sites collectively. The Monte Bolca deposits where formed in a lagoon which was separated from the open sea by coral reefs. During that time, there was considerable volcanic activity. The volcanoes on the nearby mainland erupted periodically, their lavas and ashes covering the land for some time, locally causing mass extinctions. The sediment is very fine grained limestone; the preservation suggests when the fish died it was rapidly buried in fine sediment that was anoxic. Mene rhombea and Mene oblonga are both closely related to the living moonfish Mene maculata that lives in small schools in and around reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. Mene maculata inhabits deeper coastal waters near the bottom on both the continental shelves and around major island groups; it is very likely that the same behavior applies to Mene rhombea and Mene oblonga. The Menidae belong to the Perciformes, however the affinity of Mene remains obscure. Recent studies suggest a relationship with the pomfrets, dolphinfish and the jacks. Aipichthyoides from the Cretaceous of Lebonon is believed to be close to Mene's ancestry. The earliest accepted Mene species are Mene purdyi from the Paleocene of Peru and Mene phosphatica from Tunisia; they already resemble later species such as both M. rhombea and M. oblonga from Monte Bolca and even the living species, M. maculate. Moonfish have a very deep, almost triangular shaped-body that is very much flattened from side-to-side, a large triangular tail fin and conspicuously long rays in the ventral fins. Mene maculata is a planktivore; the small, upturned mouth of Mene rhombea suggests the same feeding behavior whereas Mene oblonga picked out edible detrius and organisms out of the sediment. References: Blot, J. (1969) Les poissons fossiles du Monte Bolca. Classés jusqu’ici dans les familles des Carangidae, Menidae, Ephippidae, Scatophagidae. Mem. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. Verona 1, 1–525. Friedman, M., Johnson D. (2005) A new species of Mene from the Paleocene of South America. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 25 (4), 770-783. Bellwood, D.R (1996) The Eocene fishes of Monte Bolca: the earliest coral reef fish assemblage. Coral Reefs, Volume 15, Issue 1, 11-19.

This is a juvenile Mene rhombea from the Pesciara of Monte Bolca, about 30 kilometers north-east of Verona in Italy. The length of this fish is about 10cm; adult fish can reach almost 20cm. The location is known as Pesciara or "Fishbowl" due to its many marine fossils. The sediments from Monte Bolca are from the Eocene epoch, the Lutetian, so the fish is about 50 million years old. The entire, abundantly fossiliferous formation consists of 19 meters of limestone, all of which contain fossils, but interspersed in which are the lagerstätten layers that contain the highly preserved specimens. Within these layers, the fish and other specimens are so highly preserved that soft tissue preservation can is observable and even the skin color pattern can sometimes be determined (see for example the photo of Paranguilla tigrina in this album). There are several other related outcroppings in the general vicinity of Monte Bolca that also carry fossils, such as Monte Postale and Monte Vegroni. The term "Monte Bolca" is often used interchangeably to refer to all the sites collectively. The Monte Bolca deposits where formed in a lagoon which was separated from the open sea by coral reefs. During that time, there was considerable volcanic activity. The volcanoes on the nearby mainland erupted periodically, their lavas and ashes covering the land for some time, locally causing mass extinctions. The sediment is very fine grained limestone; the preservation suggests when the fish died it was rapidly buried in fine sediment that was anoxic. Mene rhombea is closely related to the living moonfish Mene maculata that lives in small schools in and around reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. Mene maculata inhabits deeper coastal waters near the bottom on both the continental shelves and around major island groups; it is very likely that the same behavior applies to Mene rhombea. The Menidae belong to the Perciformes, however the affinity of Mene remains obscure. Recent studies suggest a relationship with the pomfrets, dolphinfish and the jacks. Aipichthyoides from the Cretaceous of Lebanon is believed to be close to Mene's ancestry. The earliest accepted Mene species are Mene purdyi from the Paleocene of Peru and M. phosphatica from Tunisia; they already resemble later species such as M. rhombea from Monte Bolca and even the living species, M. maculata. Mene maculata Moonfish have a very deep, almost triangular shaped-body that is very much flattened from side-to-side, a large triangular tail fin and conspicuously long rays in the ventral fins. Mene maculata is a planktivore; the small, upturned mouth of Mene rhombea suggests the same feeding behavior. Line drawing from Blot 1969 Tome 2 Planche G: References: Blot, J. (1969) Les poissons fossiles du Monte Bolca. Classés jusqu’ici dans les familles des Carangidae, Menidae, Ephippidae, Scatophagidae. Mem. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. Verona 1, 1–525. Friedman, M., Johnson D. (2005) A new species of Mene from the Paleocene of South America. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 25 (4), p. 770-783. Bellwood, D.R. (1996) The Eocene fishes of Monte Bolca: the earliest coral reef fish assemblage. Coral Reefs, Volume 15, Issue 1, pp.11-19.