''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
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 ...
, 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
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 ...
(''
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 complete fossil skeletons of an indeterminate ''Protroctes'' have been identified from the Pleistocene of New Zealand, and likely represent ''P. oxyrhynchus''.
References
Freshwater fish genera
Taxa named by Albert Günther
Fish genera with one living species
{{Osmeriformes-stub