Occurrence of poeciliid fishes (Teleostei, Cyprinodontiformes) in the European Oligo-Miocene: The genus paralebias nov. gen.

摘要

The reexamination of four Oligo-Miocene species of European cyprinodontiform fishes, previously referred to the genus Prolehias SAUVAGhEa,s shown that they really belong to the family Poeciliidae, and more precisely to the subfamily Procatopodinae. All of them have the pelvic fins inserted in front of the middle of body. Some exhibit a specialization of the pelvic fin rays, which are ending with claw like articles, a character which is present in the males of a Recent species of Procatopodinae: Pantanodon madagascariensis (ARNouLT).It is proposed to include these four European fossil species in the new genus Paralehias, which exhibits several primitive characters when compared to those of the Recent African genus Procatopus BOULENGER.