|
Retropinnidae
The Retropinnidae are a family of bony fishes that contains the Southern Hemisphere smelts and graylings. They are the only members of the suborder Retropinnoidei. They are closely related to the northern smelts ( Osmeroidei), which they greatly resemble, but not to the northern graylings (''Thymallus''). Species from this family are only found in southeastern Australia and New Zealand, although a fossil otolith suggests that they may have also inhabited southern South America during the Neogene. Although a few species are partly marine, most inhabit fresh or brackish water. In the past, this family was allied with the galaxiids, with the latter also being treated as osmeriforms. However, more recent studies suggest that the galaxiids form their own order distinct from the osmeriforms. The following taxa are placed in this family: * Suborder Retropinnoidei ** Family † Ferruaspidae *** Genus †'' Ferruaspis'' ** Family Retropinnidae *** Genus ?†'' Navidadichthys'' *** Subf ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Osmeriformes
The Osmeriformes are an order (biology), order of ray-finned fish that includes the true or freshwater smelts and allies, such as the noodlefishes; they are also collectively called osmeriforms. They belong to the teleost superorder Protacanthopterygii, which also includes pike (fish), pike and salmon, among others. The order's name means "smelt-shaped", from ''Osmerus'' (the type genus) + the standard fish order suffix "-formes". It ultimately derives from Ancient Greek ''osmé'' (ὀσμή, "pungent smell") + Latin ''forma'' ("external form"), the former in reference to the characteristic aroma of the flesh of ''Osmerus''.FishBase (2006)Order Osmeriformes Version of 2006-OCT-09. Retrieved 2009-SEP-28. In the classification used here, the order Osmeriformes contains two suborders, four family (biology), families, some 17 genera, and about 52species. The "marine" smelts and allies (e.g. the odd-looking barreleyes) were formerly included here as suborder Argentinoidei; they are now ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New Zealand Smelt
The New Zealand smelt (''Retropinna retropinna''), also known as the New Zealand common smelt, New Zealand cucumber fish, or silveries is a smelt of the family Retropinnidae, found only in New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ... at shallow depths in estuaries and rivers. Their length is between 8 and 13 cm. Species description ''Retropinna retropinna'' are elongated silver green fish with clear fins, just larger than palm size. Smelt can be identified by the adipose fin, a small fleshy nub, located halfway between the dorsal fin and the tail. Scales, a forked tail and a distinct "cucumber smell" are other ways of distinguishing Smelt from other species. There are two species of smelt in New Zealand, the common smelt and Stokell's smelt which can only b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prototroctes
''Prototroctes'' is a genus of New Zealand smelts containing one species native to Australia and another, now extinct, species that was native to New Zealand. The two species in this genus appear to have diverged from one another during the Miocene, about 14 million years ago. Species There are currently two recognized species in this genus: * '' Prototroctes maraena'' Günther, 1864 (Australian grayling) * '' Prototroctes oxyrhynchus'' Günther, 1870 (New Zealand grayling) In addition, two prehistoric species known only from fossil otoliths ('' Prototroctes modestus'' Schwarzhans, 2011 and '' Prototroctes vertex'' Schwarzhans, 2011) have been identified from the Early Miocene The Early Miocene (also known as Lower Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch (geology), Epoch made up of two faunal stage, stages: the Aquitanian age, Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages. The sub-epoch lasted from 23.03 ± 0.05 annum, Ma to ...-aged St. Bathans fauna of New Zealand. Two complet ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Retropinna
''Retropinna'' is a genus in the family Retropinnidae containing one species that is widespread in southeastern Australia, one from Tasmania and one from New Zealand. Species There are currently three recognized species in this genus: * '' Retropinna retropinna'' ( J. Richardson, 1848) (Cucumberfish, New Zealand smelt) * ''Retropinna semoni The Australian smelt (''Retropinna semoni'') is a small, pelagic silvery freshwater fish found in large numbers in waters of the south eastern Australian mainland. Distribution The fish is endemic to Australia and widely distributed through the ...'' ( M. C. W. Weber, 1895) (Australian smelt) * '' Retropinna tasmanica'' McCulloch, 1920 (Tasmanian smelt) References Ray-finned fish genera Taxa named by Theodore Gill {{Osmeriformes-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ferruaspis
''Ferruaspis'' (from Latin ''ferrum'', meaning "iron", referencing its preservation in goethite, and Greek ''aspis'', meaning "shield", a common suffix for fossil fish genera) is an extinct genus of freshwater osmeriform ray-finned fish from the Miocene of Australia. It contains a single species, ''F. brocksi'', and is the only member of the family Ferruaspidae. It was closely related to the extant Southern Hemisphere smelts in the family Retropinnidae. It is named after professor Jochen Brocks of the Australian National University.'''' ''Ferruaspis'' is known from extraordinarily well-preserved specimens recovered from the McGraths Flat lagerstätte of New South Wales. These specimens provide a highly detailed glimpse into its life history, ecology, and physical appearance. Aside from an indeterminate percomorph fish, it is the only fish known from this site. Description ''Ferruaspis'' specimens are unique for having poorly-preserved hard tissues (with the otoliths missing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Galaxiidae
The Galaxiidae are a family of mostly small freshwater fish in the Southern Hemisphere. The majority live in Southern Australia or New Zealand, but some are found in South Africa, southern South America, Lord Howe Island, New Caledonia, and the Falkland Islands. One galaxiid species, the common galaxias (''Galaxias maculatus''), is probably the most widely naturally distributed freshwater fish in the Southern Hemisphere. They are coolwater species, found in temperate latitudes, with only one species known from subtropical habitats. Many specialise in living in cold, high-altitude upland rivers, streams, and lakes. Some galaxiids live in fresh water all their lives, but many have a partially marine lifecycle. In these cases, larvae are hatched in a river, but are washed downstream to the ocean, later returning to rivers as juveniles to complete their development to full adulthood. This pattern differs from that of salmon, which only return to fresh water to breed, and is desc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Basal (phylogenetics)
In phylogenetics, basal is the direction of the ''base'' (or root) of a phylogenetic tree#Rooted tree, rooted phylogenetic tree or cladogram. The term may be more strictly applied only to nodes adjacent to the root, or more loosely applied to nodes regarded as being close to the root. Note that extant taxa that lie on branches connecting directly to the root are not more closely related to the root than any other extant taxa. While there must always be two or more equally "basal" clades sprouting from the root of every cladogram, those clades may differ widely in taxonomic rank, Phylogenetic diversity, species diversity, or both. If ''C'' is a basal clade within ''D'' that has the lowest rank of all basal clades within ''D'', ''C'' may be described as ''the'' basal taxon of that rank within ''D''. The concept of a 'key innovation' implies some degree of correlation between evolutionary innovation and cladogenesis, diversification. However, such a correlation does not make a given ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Navidad Formation
Navidad Formation () is a marine Neogene sedimentary geologic formation, formation located in Central Chile. The formation is known for its diverse and abundant fossil record and is considered the reference unit for the marine Neogene in Chile. Originally described by Charles Darwin in 1846 the formation has attracted the attention of numerous prominent geologists and paleontology, paleontologists since then. As a key formation Navidad has been subject to a series of differing interpretations and scientific disputes over time. History Charles Darwin saw the formation in September 1834 during the second voyage of HMS Beagle. He became the first to describe it 1846 when he published his book Geological Observations on South America in 1846 and it was named by Darwin after the nearby town of Navidad, Chile, Navidad. In this book Darwin calls the formation "Formation of Navidad" and "Sandstone Formation at Navidad". There are no signs of that Darwin would have attempted to make a for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern marine invertebrates than the Pliocene has. The Miocene followed the Oligocene and preceded the Pliocene. As Earth went from the Oligocene through the Miocene and into the Pliocene, the climate slowly cooled towards a series of ice ages. The Miocene boundaries are not marked by distinct global events but by regionally defined transitions from the warmer Oligocene to the cooler Pliocene Epoch. During the Early Miocene, Afro-Arabia collided with Eurasia, severing the connection between the Mediterranean and Indian Oceans, and allowing the interchange of fauna between Eurasia and Africa, including the dispersal of proboscideans and Ape, hominoids into Eurasia. During the late Miocene, the conn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Otolith
An otolith (, ' ear + , ', a stone), also called otoconium, statolith, or statoconium, is a calcium carbonate structure in the saccule or utricle (ear), utricle of the inner ear, specifically in the vestibular system of vertebrates. The saccule and utricle, in turn, together make the ''otolith organs''. These organs are what allows an organism, including humans, to perceive linear acceleration, both horizontally and vertically (gravity). They have been identified in both extinct and extant vertebrates. Counting the annual growth rings on the otoliths is a common technique in estimating the age of fish. Description Endolymphatic infillings such as otoliths are structures in the saccule and Utricle (ear), utricle of the inner ear, specifically in the Labyrinth (inner ear), vestibular labyrinth of all vertebrates (fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds). In vertebrates, the saccule and utricle together make the ''otolith organs''. Both statoconia and otoliths are used as gra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
