A new species of Saurichthys (Actinopterygii: Saurichthyidae) from the Middle Triassic of Winterswijk, The Netherlands

Abstract

The Lower Muschelkalk Vossenveld Formation has yielded a diverse and abundant vertebrate fauna. In this contribution, we describe a small saurichthyid fish, Saurichthys dianneae sp. nov., from the Winterswijk locality in the eastern Netherlands. This species is represented by multiple specimens ranging from the Bithynian to the early Illyrian (middle-early late Anisian) in age. The material from Winterswijk includes articulated postcranial material, which is unusual for a saurichthyid from the Muschelkalk. Saurichthys dianneae sp. nov. is diagnosed by its small size (less than 10 cm in total length), elongate shape, extremely constricted interorbital region, neural arches lacking well-developed neural spines, and morphology and organization of the squamation. The slender body shape, flattened upper jaw, and dorsally directed orbits suggest that S. dianneae may have lived near the sea surface. Saurichthys with a similar body shape are known from the Middle Triassic of Germany, and indicate that these small, surface-dwelling saurichthyid fishes may have been widespread in coastal areas of the Middle Triassic Muschelkalk Sea.

Note on the Rhaetian fish fauna from a subrosion pipe in Winterswijk (the Netherlands), with a discussion on the validity of the genus Severnichthys Storrs, 1994

“…Saurichthys and Birgeria are very different fish. Saurichthys is a very slender, garfish-like creature with an extremely elongate rostrum (Rieppel, 1985;Romano et al, 2012;Werneburg et al, 2014;Maxwell et al, 2016), while Birgeria is larger and possesses a strong and blunt rostrum (Schwarz, 1970;Bürgin & Furrer, 1992). In the original description, Severnichthys was diagnosed with a 'massive fused rostropremaxillary, subconical with a bluntly pointed tip', which conforms to the morphology of Birgeria; and a heavily fragmented dentary 'with vertically expanded posterior end, more so than in Birgeria or Saurichthys' (Storrs, 1994).…”

“…The apparent absence of the genus Saurichthys itself is difficult to understand, as Saurichthys was an abundant taxon in Triassic fish assemblages (e.g. Duffin & Gazdzicki, 1977;Rieppel, 1985;Romano et al, 2012;Werneburg et al, 2014;Maxwell et al, 2016).…”

Re‐evaluation of the ontogeny and reproductive biology of the Triassic fish Saurichthys (Actinopterygii, Saurichthyidae)

“…), as well as delayed ossification in the parietal region (Maxwell et al . ). Similar observations in S. curionii suggest that late ossification in this part of the skull may be relatively widespread within Saurichthyidae.…”

A Hiatus Obscures the Early Evolution of Modern Lineages of Bony Fishes

“…The Fossil Hill Member of the Favret Formation in Nevada has yielded cranial material of Saurichthys together with other isolated bony fish remains (Sander et al, 1994;Rieppel et al, 1996). Specimens of Eosemionotus, Gyrolepis, Saurichthys and other actinopterygians have been collected from the lower beds of the Vossenveld Formation in the Netherlands, which are Bithynian in age (Oosterink and Poppe 1979;Oosterink 1986;Maxwell et al, 2016). From Germany, Werneburg et al 2014described small species of Saurichthys.…”