Rhombichthys cf. intoccabilis KHALLOUFI et al., 2010

By oilshale

• November 7, 2018

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopteri Cope 1871
Order: Ellimmichthyiformes Grande 1982
Family: Paraclupeidae Chang & Chou 1977
Genus: Rhombichthys
Species: Rhombichthys cf. intoccabilis
Author Citation Khalloufi, Zaragüeta-Bagils & Lelièvre, 2010

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
Height: 7 cm

Location

Gara es Sbâa
Tafraoute
Tiznit Province
Morocco

• cretaceous
• gara es sbâa
• morocco
• rhombichthys
• tafraoute
• ttf-oilshale-ch1705

Comments

Taxonomy from Khalloufi et al. 2010.

So far this fish was only known from Ein Yabrud, Ramallah.

Description by Khalloufi et al. 2010, p. 47: "The diamond-shaped body of ca. 70mm in standard length is almost twice higher than long (the standard length represents 51% of the total depth). The axial skeleton comprises 33-34 vertebrae, with abdominalcentra anteroposteriorly constricted. The last abdominal vertebrae possess elongated parapophyses which support small ribs. The posterior predorsal scutes have elongated lateral wings, and the last scute is claw-shaped. The ventral scute series is formed by about 35 scutes with very elongated lateral wings. The scutes located posteriorly to the apex of the ventral profile possess a strong posteriorly oriented spine."

Identified by B. Khalloufi, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle Paris.

References:

B. Khalloufi, R. Zaragüeta-Bagils, and H. Lelièvre (2010) Rhombichthys intoccabilis, gen. et sp. nov. (Ellimmichthyiformes, Clupeomorpha, Teleostei), from the Cenomanian (Upper Cretaceous) of Ein Yabrud, Middle East: anatomical description and phylogenetic implications. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 30(1):57-67.

Bouziane Khalloufi, Didier B. Dutheil, Paulo M. Brito, Théo Mora and René Zaragüeta Bagils (2017) Mesozoic clupeomorphs of North Africa: diversity and phylogeny. RESEARCH & KNOWLEDGE. Vol. 3 No. 2 page 46-49. DOI: 10.14456/randk.2017.25