Eoplatax
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Eoplatax Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Fossil specimen, Natural History Museum, Vienna | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Acanthuriformes |
| Family: | Ephippidae |
| Genus: | †Eoplatax Blot, 1969 |
| Species: | †E. papilio |
| Binomial name | |
| †Eoplatax papilio (Volta, 1796) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Eoplatax ("dawn Platax") is an extinct genus of prehistoric spadefish that lived during the Early Eocene. It contains a single species, E. papilio (=E. subvespertilio (de Blainville, 1818)), from the Ypresian-aged Monte Bolca site of Italy.[1] As its name suggests are closely allied to the extant genus, Platax, more commonly known as "batfish."[2]
It was initially described as Chaetodon papilio by Volta (1796) before being moved to Platax by Agassiz (1835). Due to its differences from Platax, it was moved to its own genus, Eoplatax, in 1969.[3]
