Apateodus

Apateodus; Temporal range: Late Albian - Maastrichtian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	Lower jaw fragment of A. corneti
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Aulopiformes
Family:	†Ichthyotringidae
Genus:	†Apateodus; Woodward, 1901
Species
	See text

Apateodus (meaning "confusing tooth") is a genus of prehistoric marine ray-finned fish which was described by Woodward in 1901. It was a relative of modern lizardfish and lancetfish in the order Aulopiformes, and one of a number of prominent nektonic aulopiforms of Cretaceous marine ecosystems.^[1]^[2]

The genus spans from the Albian to the late Maastrichtian, and appears to have been distributed worldwide; specimens have been found in Russia, India, the United States (Colorado, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas), Canada, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.^[1]

Taxonomy

Apateodus has generally been placed in the suborder Enchodontoidei alongside most other Cretaceous nektonic aulopiforms, although its affinities have long been uncertain. However, since the 2000s, it has generally been placed in the family Ichthyotringidae.^[3]^[4] However, some authors have still placed it as an indeterminate ichthyotringoid, alepisauroid, or even elsewhere in the Aulopiformes as the sister to the barracudinas, the latter two of which have been contradicted by anatomical studies.^[3]^[5]^[6]

The following species are known:^[1]^[2]

A. busseni Franz & Shimada, 2009 - Coniacian of Kansas
A. corneti (Forir, 1887) - Maastrichtian of the Netherlands
A. glyphodus (Blake, 1863) - Albian of the United Kingdom
A. lanceolatus Woodward, 1901 - Cenomanian of the United Kingdom
A. striatus Woodward, 1901 - Cenomanian of the United Kingdom, Maastrichtian of India

A potential undescribed genus closely allied to Apateodus was identified in 2020 from fossils from Kansas.^[7]

Description

Known by well preserved skull remains, Apateodus is estimated to be around 1 meter (3.3ft) in length, and would have been an effective mesopredator.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "PBDB". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
^ ^a ^b ^c Newbrey, Michael G.; Konishi, Takuya (2015-05-04). "A new lizardfish (Teleostei, Aulopiformes) from the Late Cretaceous Bearpaw Formation of Alberta, Canada, with a revised diagnosis of Apateodus (Aulopiformes, Ichthyotringoidei)". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 35 (3): e918042. doi:10.1080/02724634.2014.918042. ISSN 0272-4634.
^ ^a ^b Silva, Hilda M. A.; Gallo, Valéria (2011-06). "Taxonomic review and phylogenetic analysis of Enchodontoidei (Teleostei: Aulopiformes)". Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências. 83: 483–511. doi:10.1590/S0001-37652011000200010. ISSN 0001-3765. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ Fielitz, Christopher; Shimada, Kenshu (2009-09-12). "A new species of Apateodus (Teleostei: Aulopiformes) from the Upper Cretaceous Niobrara Chalk of Western Kansas, U.S.A." Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 29 (3): 650–658. doi:10.1671/039.029.0308. ISSN 0272-4634.
^ Near, Thomas J; Thacker, Christine E (16 September 2023). "Phylogenetic classification of living and fossil ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)". Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History. 65. doi:10.5281/zenodo.8352027.
^ Schwarzhans, Werner; Beckett, Hermione T.; Schein, Jason D.; Friedman, Matt (2018). Rahman, Imran (ed.). "Computed tomography scanning as a tool for linking the skeletal and otolith‐based fossil records of teleost fishes". Palaeontology. 61 (4): 511–541. doi:10.1111/pala.12349. ISSN 0031-0239.
^ Fielitz, Christopher; Shimada, Kenshu (2020). "A Possible Undescribed Aulopiform Fish Allied to the Genus Apateodus from the Upper Cretaceous Niobrara Chalk of Kansas, U.S.A." Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science. 123 (3–4): 435–440. doi:10.1660/062.123.0313. ISSN 0022-8443.

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[:0-1] "PBDB". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2024-02-22.

[:1-2] Newbrey, Michael G.; Konishi, Takuya (2015-05-04). "A new lizardfish (Teleostei, Aulopiformes) from the Late Cretaceous Bearpaw Formation of Alberta, Canada, with a revised diagnosis of Apateodus (Aulopiformes, Ichthyotringoidei)". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 35 (3): e918042. doi:10.1080/02724634.2014.918042. ISSN 0272-4634.

[:2-3] Silva, Hilda M. A.; Gallo, Valéria (2011-06). "Taxonomic review and phylogenetic analysis of Enchodontoidei (Teleostei: Aulopiformes)". Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências. 83: 483–511. doi:10.1590/S0001-37652011000200010. ISSN 0001-3765. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

[4] Fielitz, Christopher; Shimada, Kenshu (2009-09-12). "A new species of Apateodus (Teleostei: Aulopiformes) from the Upper Cretaceous Niobrara Chalk of Western Kansas, U.S.A." Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 29 (3): 650–658. doi:10.1671/039.029.0308. ISSN 0272-4634.

[5] Near, Thomas J; Thacker, Christine E (16 September 2023). "Phylogenetic classification of living and fossil ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)". Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History. 65. doi:10.5281/zenodo.8352027.

[6] Schwarzhans, Werner; Beckett, Hermione T.; Schein, Jason D.; Friedman, Matt (2018). Rahman, Imran (ed.). "Computed tomography scanning as a tool for linking the skeletal and otolith‐based fossil records of teleost fishes". Palaeontology. 61 (4): 511–541. doi:10.1111/pala.12349. ISSN 0031-0239.

[7] Fielitz, Christopher; Shimada, Kenshu (2020). "A Possible Undescribed Aulopiform Fish Allied to the Genus Apateodus from the Upper Cretaceous Niobrara Chalk of Kansas, U.S.A." Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science. 123 (3–4): 435–440. doi:10.1660/062.123.0313. ISSN 0022-8443.

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