A re-description of Hensodon spinosus, a remarkable coccodontid fish (Actinopterygii, †Pycnodontiformes) from the Cenomanian (Late Cretaceous) of Haqel, Lebanon
Capasso, L.L.; Taverne, L.; Nohra, R. (2010). A re-description of Hensodon spinosus, a remarkable coccodontid fish (Actinopterygii, †Pycnodontiformes) from the Cenomanian (Late Cretaceous) of Haqel, Lebanon. Bull. Kon. Belg. Inst. Natuurwet. Aardwet. = Bull. - Inst. r. sci. nat. Belg., Sci. Terre 80: 145-162
In: Bulletin van het Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen. Aardwetenschappen = Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique. Sciences de la Terre. KBIN: Brussel. ISSN 0374-6291, more
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| Keywords |
Geological time > Phanerozoic > Geological time > Mesozoic > Cretaceous > Cretaceous, Upper > Cenomanian
Actinopterygii [WoRMS]; Coccodontidae; Hensodon spinosus; Pycnodontiformes
Lebanon [Marine Regions]
Marine/Coastal |
| Author keywords |
Actinopterygii, Pycnodontiformes, Coccodontidae, Hensodon spinosus, osteology, systematics, Cenomanian, Haqel, Lebanon |
| Authors | | Top |
- Capasso, L.L.
- Taverne, L., more
- Nohra, R.
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| Abstract |
Hensodon spinosus, a rare and very peculiar pycnodontiform fish from the Upper Cenomanian limestone of the Haqel fossils quarry (Lebanon) is re-described on the basis of four new specimens. It is the only species assigned to the genus. It shares with the family Coccodontidae (sensu Poyato-Ariza & Wenz, 2002) almost all its synapomorphies but is also characterized by several unique autapomorphies. The species exhibits a rounded general shape of the body, an enormous head, an extremely reduced snout with a minute mouth gash, a horny frontal showing modifications that we interpret as dimorphic sexual differences, styliform teeth, a giant occipital process with many spines on its margins and formed by the dermosupraoccipital, the parietal and the supratemporal, a prefrontal, an edentulous, unornamented, elongated rhomboid maxilla, a very massive spiny cleithrum, a big spiny post-coelomic bone, and a few elongated bar scales. All those characters award a unique impressive aspect to the fish. Remains of the original colour pattern add information about the external aspect of this remarkable fish. |
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