A Late Cretaceous marine long snout "pejelagarto" fish (Lepisosteidae, Lepisosteini) from Múzquiz, Coahuila, northeastern Mexico
Abstract
Herreraichthys coahuilaensis gen. and sp. nov. is described based on a single specimen collected in the Santonian marls strata of the "Los Temporales" quarry, Coahuila State, northern Mexico. This new species shows the diagnostic characters of the Family Lepisosteidae and tribe Lepisosteini, together with Lepisosteus and Atractosteus. This new fish shows two rows of teeth on dentary and lacrimomaxillae bones, including a lingual row of sharp and small regular size teeth, as well as a medial row of longer and fang-like teeth; this also has a lacrimomaxillary series as the main bite element of the upper jaw and the plicidentine structure on teeth. This Mexican fish differs from the other lepisoestinis in two characters; its lacrimomaxillary series is composed of 32 bones that constitute the largest series as far known among lepisosteiformes, and its premaxilla is comparatively wider and shorter. The occurrence of this specimen into an open marine deposit with no freshwater elements suggests that Herreraichthys was a marine inhabitant; however, there is the possibility that this species was able to temporarily survive in the sea, as Atractosteus spatula does now.
- Publication:
-
Cretaceous Research
- Pub Date:
- January 2016
- DOI:
- 10.1016/j.cretres.2015.07.009
- Bibcode:
- 2016CrRes..57...19A
- Keywords:
-
- Herreraichthys coahuilaensis;
- Lepisosteiformes;
- Los Temporales;
- Múzquiz;
- Coahuila;
- Santonian