| Ichthyoceros Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Specimen of I. spinosus | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | †Pycnodontiformes |
| Family: | †Gladiopycnodontidae |
| Genus: | †Ichthyoceros Gayet, 1984 |
| Species: | †I. spinosus |
| Binomial name | |
| †Ichthyoceros spinosus Gayet, 1984 | |
Ichthyoceros is an extinct pycnodontid from the Late Cretaceous. It contains a single species, I. spinosus, from the Cenomanian-aged Sannine Formation of Lebanon.[1][2] I. spinosus had a triple, forward-pointing horn-like spine between its eyes, very similar to the single spine of Trewavasia, and a massive, multipointed spine emanating from the back of its head. It was originally placed in the family Coccodontidae, but then was transferred to "Trewavasiidae" with Trewavasia. Recently, it has been placed in Gladiopycnodontidae due to recent anatomical similarities with the various genera within that family, including Gladiopycnodus.[3]
See also
- Prehistoric fish
- List of prehistoric bony fish
- Trewavasia, its close relative
References
- Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
- Capasso, Luigi (2024-08-02). "Biodiversity of †pycnodonts (Actinopterygii) during the Cenomanian–Turonian (Upper Cretaceous)". Historical Biology. 36 (8): 1557–1569. doi:10.1080/08912963.2023.2221269. ISSN 0891-2963.
- Taverne, L.; Capasso, L. (2015). "New data on the osteology and phylogeny of Gladiopycnodontidae (Pycnodontiformes), a tropical fossil fish family from the marine upper cretaceous of Lebanon, with the description of four genera". Geo-Eco-Trop. 39 (2): 217–246.