Eothynnus
Extinct species of fish
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Eothynnus is an extinct species of prehistoric jackfish that lived during the lower Eocene of Europe and eastern North America. It contains a single species, E. salmoneus.[1][2] It is known primarily from some preserved skulls from what is now the Isle of Sheppey (as a part of the London Clay Lagerstatten) in England.[3] A single vertebra is also known from the Nanjemoy Formation of Virginia, US.[4]
| Eothynnus Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Carangiformes |
| Suborder: | Carangoidei |
| Family: | Carangidae |
| Genus: | †Eothynnus Woodward, 1901 |
| Species: | †E. salmoneus |
| Binomial name | |
| †Eothynnus salmoneus Woodward, 1901 | |
It was originally thought to be a tuna or mackerel, hence the generic name translating as "dawn" or "Eocene tuna."[2] Later, it was reappraised to be a jackfish, related to Teratichthys and Eastmanalepes (syn. "Caranx primaevus").[5][6] It is one of the largest fish known from the London Clay.[4]
