Search the Community

Photo of the recent Aeoliscus striatus, taken from the Wikipedia article "Schnepfenmesserfische", photo of the author Haplochromis (Jan. 2014) References: Jerzmanska, A. (1968) ICHTYOFAUNE DES COUCHES A MÉNILITE (FLYSCH DES KARPATHES). Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. Vol 23, 3, pp 379-488, tab 1-7. Nickolay Parin & Norbert Micklich (1996) Fossil gasterosteiformes from the lower oligocene of Frauenweiler (Baden-Württemberg, Germany) I. New information on the morphology and systematics of the genusAeoliscus Jordan &Starks 1902. Paläontologische Zeitschrift, 1996, Volume 70, Number 3-4, Page 521-545 Photo of the recent Aeoliscus striatus, taken from the Wikipedia article "Schnepfenmesserfische", photo of the author Haplochromis (Jan. 2014)

Recent Aeoliscus strigatus in head-down tail-up position as an adaption for hiding among sea urchin spines. (Picture from Wikipedia, own work of Haplochromis) Taxonomy from Fossilworks.org. Description for the recent A. strigatus from GBIF.org: "Body elongate, strongly compressed, and blade-like. Head elongate; snout long, slender, and tubular; mouth small, toothless, located at tip of snout. Interorbital space striated, convex, without a longitudinal groove. Two short-based dorsal fins; first dorsal-fin spine hinged at its base, slightly movable, with a movable spinous ray at its end; all other spinous and soft portions of dorsal fins on ventral surface of body; caudal fin small, on ventral surface, nearly at right angle to body axis; pelvic fins small, with 4 short soft rays, originating at or behind midbody. Lateral line absent. Body enclosed in a flattened, transparent, bony casing with sharp ventral edge. Colour yellowish brown to pale green on back, silvery on sides; conspicuous black stripe running from the snout, through the eye, to the base of spinous dorsal fin." Identified by oilshale. References: SORBINI, Lorenzo (1987) BIOGEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATOLOGY OF PLIOCENE AND MESSINIAN FOSSIL FISH OF EASTERN-CENTRAL ITALY. Boll. Mus. Civ. St. Nat. Verona", 14, pp. 1-85.

The picture with the two recent Aeoliscus strigatus is from Wikipedia, own work of Karelj. The species in the genera Aeoliscus and Centriscus belong to the family Centriscidae (Razorfishes) within the order Syngnathiformes. The name "Syngnathiformes" means "conjoined-jaws". Syngnathiformes is an order of ray-finned fishes that includes among others the pipefishes and seahorses (Syngnathidae), razorfishes (Centriscidae), trumpetfishes (Aulostomidae) and cornetfishes (Fistulariidae). Fishes of this order have elongate, narrow bodies surrounded by a series of bony rings, and small, tubular mouths. The tubular mouth shows that these members of the Syngnathiformes fed on small Crustaceans and such, much as their modern-day relatives Seahorses and Pipefishes. Centriscidae (Razorfishes) have elongated, strongly compressed and blade like bodies. The head is elongate with a long and slender, tubular snout; the mouth being small and toothless. There are two short-based dorsal fins with the first dorsal-fin spine being fused with the body armor plates. The caudal fin is small, nearly at a right angle to the body axis; the pelvic fins are small, with 4 short soft rays, originating at or behind midbody. Aeoliscus and Centriscus look very much alike however Centriscus differs from Aeoliscus by having a rigid first dorsal spine which is straight and lacking a hinge. The species in the genera Aeoliscus and Centriscus are found in relatively shallow tropical parts of the Indo-Pacific. Razorfish live among seaweed and swim with the body aligned vertically, to blend in with the stems. References: Kotlarczyk, J., A. Jerzmanska, E. Swidnicka, and T. Wiszniowska. 2006. A framework of ichthyofaunal ecostratigraphy of the Oligocene-early Miocene strata of the Polish outer Carpathian basin. Annales Societatis Geologorum Poloniae 76: 1–111. Parin, N., N. Micklich. 1996. Fossil gasterosteiformes from the lower oligocene of Frauenweiler (Baden-Württemberg, Germany) I. New information on the morphology and systematics of the genus Aeoliscus Jordan &Starks 1902. Palaeontologische Zeitschrift, Volume 70, Numbers 3-4, 521-545.