Mene rhombea

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
Mene rhombea
Temporal range: Middle Eocene
250px
Mene rhombea, from Mount Bolca, Verona
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Class:
Order:
Family:
Genus:
Species:
M. rhombea
Binomial name
Mene rhombea
Volta, 1796
Synonyms
  • Gasteronemus rhombus

Lua error in Module:Taxonbar/candidate at line 22: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).

Mene rhombea was a perciform fish belonging to the family Menidae. During the Middle Eocene (Lutetian epoch), about 48 to 40 mya, these fishes lived in the Tethys Ocean, a large tropical sea in the area corresponding to the current Mediterranean. This ocean was extended between the continents of Gondwana and Laurasia. At this time, where Monte Bolca is today, M. rhombea, and its relative, M. oblonga, lived in a tropical lagoon.

Description

Mene rhombea had a laterally compressed body, very long and slim pelvic fins and a wide triangular tail fin. As suggested by their fossils' small, upturned mouths, and by comparison of its living relative, as Mene maculata, fishes of this species were planktivore. The species shows close affinities with contemporary species inhabiting the coral reef environment of the Indo-Pacific warm seas.

Distribution

Their greatly valued fossils comes from the laggerstat Monte Bolca, about 30 kilometres north-east of Verona, Italy.

Gallery

External links

<templatestyles src="Asbox/styles.css"></templatestyles>