''Bathylagus'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
deep-sea smelt
The deep-sea smelts are any members of the family Bathylagidae, a distinct group of marine smelts.
Deep-sea smelts are marine fishes found in deep waters throughout the oceans, down to in depth. They are small fishes, growing up to long. They ...
s, some species of which are noted for having
stylophthalmine larvae.
Species
The seven recognized, extant species in this genus are:
* ''
Bathylagus andriashevi''
Kobyliansky, 1986
* ''
Bathylagus antarcticus''
Günther, 1878 (Antarctic deepsea smelt)
* ''
Bathylagus euryops''
Goode & T. H. Bean, 1896 (goiter blacksmelt)
* ''
Bathylagus gracilis''
Lönnberg, 1905
* ''
Bathylagus niger''
Kobyliansky, 2006
* ''
Bathylagus pacificus
''Bathylagus'' is a genus of deep-sea smelts, some species of which are noted for having Stylophthalmine trait, stylophthalmine larvae.
Species
The seven recognized, extant species in this genus are:
* ''Bathylagus andriashevi'' Stanislav Genrik ...
''
C. H. Gilbert, 1890 (slender blacksmelt)
* ''
Bathylagus tenuis''
Kobyliansky, 1986
The oldest fossil species in this genus known from skeletal remains are from the
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 mea ...
. These include ''
Bathylagus angelensis'', whose remains are widespread across
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...
(
Monterey Formation
The Monterey Formation is an extensive Miocene oil-rich geology, geological sedimentary formation in California, with outcrops of the formation in parts of the California Coast Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, and on some of California's off-shor ...
and
Modelo Formation
The Modelo Formation is a Miocene Formation (geology), geologic formation in the Simi Hills and western Santa Susana Mountains of southern California, including under parts of Los Angeles.
It preserves fossils dating back to the Late Miocene of ...
), as well as ''
B. sencta'', ''
B. obesa'', and ''
B. toyohamaensis'' from Japan. These specimens are all known from formations that were formerly deposited in deep-sea environments, before being dramatically
uplifted to the surface by geological activity. However, tentative fossil
otoliths
An otolith (, ' ear + , ', a stone), also called otoconium, statolith, or statoconium, is a calcium carbonate structure in the saccule or utricle of the inner ear, specifically in the vestibular system of vertebrates. The saccule and utricle, i ...
are also known from the
Late Cretaceous
The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the more recent of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''cre ...
(
Maastrichtian
The Maastrichtian ( ) is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) geologic timescale, the latest age (geology), age (uppermost stage (stratigraphy), stage) of the Late Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch or Upper Cretaceous series (s ...
) of the United States.
References
External links
*
Ray-finned fish genera
Taxa named by Albert Günther
{{Argentiniformes-stub