Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The species of Aspidorhynchus Agassiz, 1833 (Neopterygii, Aspidorhynchiformes) from the Jurassic plattenkalks of Southern Germany

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Paläontologische Zeitschrift Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The fishes of the genus Aspidorhynchus (Aspidorhynchidae) are among the most abundant predators in the palaeolagoons of the Solnhofen archipelago (Late Jurassic, southern Germany). They have been known since the end to the nineteenth century and the last revision of the genus was published more than 20 years ago. During these last two decades, numerous complete and excellently preserved specimens have been collected. The high morphological diversity shown by the new material made a new revision of these fishes necessary. This new taxonomic revision led us to revalidate the species A. ornatissimus Agassiz, 1834, which has hitherto been considered a junior synonym of the type species of the genus, A. acutirostris (Blainville, 1818), as well as to recognize high intraspecific variation in the latter species. These results helped to improve the distinction and, thus, the diagnoses of A. acutirostris, A. ornatissimus, and A. sanzenbacheri Brito and Ebert, 2009, which are the three valid species of this genus in the Solnhofen archipelago. We have been able to explain most of the intraspecific diversity of A. acutirostris by means of patterns of ontogenetic variation that encompass most of the other nominal species, thus largely reflecting early taxonomic hypotheses. Furthermore, the detailed morphological study led us to the recognition of some important anatomical structures previously unknown for aspidorhynchids: a connection between the temporal, infraorbital and supraorbital sensory canals in the frontal bone, the presence of an Y-shaped antorbital bone, and the presence of an interoperculum.

Kurzfassung

Die Fische der Gattung Aspidorhynchus (Aspidorhynchidae) gehören zu den häufigst auftretenden Räuberfischen in den Paläolagunen des Solnhofener Archipels (Später Jura, Süddeutschland). Sie sind seit Ende des 19ten Jahrhunderts bekannt, und die letzte Revision der Gattung wurde vor mehr als zwanzig Jahren publiziert. Innerhalb dieser letzten zwei Jahrzehnte wurden zahlreiche vollständig und exzellent erhaltene Stücke gesammelt. Die ausgeprägte morphologische Diversität, die sich in dem neuen Material zeigte, machte eine Überarbeitung dieser Fische notwendig. Durch diese neue taxonomische Revision wurde die Art A. ornatissimus Agassiz, 1834, die bisher als neueres Synonym der Typusart der Gattung, A. acutirostris (Blainville, 1818) galt, revalidiert, und in letzterer Art wurde eine große intraspezifische Variation festgestellt. Diese Ergebnisse verbesserten die Unterscheidung und somit die Definition von A. acutirostris, A. ornatissimus, und A. sanzenbacheri Brito und Ebert, 2009, die drei validen Arten dieser Gattung im Solnhofener Archipel. Die meisten der intraspezifischen Variationen in A. acutirostris konnten wir durch Erscheinungsformen ontogenetischer Variation erklären, die die meisten der anderen nominellen Arten erfasst, und somit frühe taxonomische Hypothesen weitgehend widerspiegelt. Des Weiteren führte das detaillierte morphologische Studium zur Erkenntnis einiger wichtiger, anatomischer Strukturen, die bisher für Aspidorhynchidae nicht bekannt waren: eine Verbindung zwischen dem Temporal-, Infra- und Supraorbitalkanal im Frontale, das Vorhandensein eines Y-förmigen Antorbitale und das Vorhandensein eines Interoperculums.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agassiz, J.L.R. 1833–1844. Recherches sur les poissons fossiles. Neuchâtel: Imprimerie de Petitpierre, in 5 vols., with supplements.

  • Arratia, G. 1997. Basal teleost and teleostean phylogeny. Palaeoichthyologica 7: 1–166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arratia, G. 1999. The monophyly of Teleostei and stem-group teleosts. Consensus and disagreements. In Mesozoic Fishes 2—Systematics and Fossil Record, ed. G. Arratia and H-P. Schultze, 265–334. München: Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil.

  • Arratia, G. 2008. Actinopterygian postcranial skeleton with special reference to the diversity of fin ray elements, and the problem of identifying homologies. In Mesozoic Fishes 4—Homology and Phylogeny, ed. G. Arratia, H.-P. Schultze, and M.V.H. Wilson, 49–101. München: Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arratia, G. 2009. Identifying patterns of diversity of the actinopterygian fulcra. Acta Zoologica Stockholm 90: 220–235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arratia, G., R.A. Scasso, and W. Kiessling. 2004. Late Jurassic Fishes from Longing Gap, Antarctic Peninsula. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 24(1): 41–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Assmann, P. 1906. Über Aspidorhynchus. Inaugural-Dissertation zur Erlangung der Doktorwürde. Berlin: Philosophische Fakultät der Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bean, L.B. 2006. The leptolepid fish Cavenderichthys talbragarensis (Woodward, 1895) from the Talbragar Fish Bed (Late Jurassic) near Gulgong, New South Wales. Records of the Australian Museum 23: 43–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blainville, H.P. 1818. Nouveau Dictionnaire d’Histoire Naturelle. Paris: Chez Deterville.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brito, P.M. 1997. Révision des Aspidorhynchidae (Pisces, Actinopterygii) du Mésozoïque: Ostéologie, relations phylogénétique, données environnementales et biogéographiques. Geodiversitas 19(4): 681–772.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brito, P.M. 1999. Description of Aspidorhynchus arawaki from the Late Jurassic of Cuba (Actinopterygii: Halecostomi). In Mesozoic Fishes 2: Systematics and the Fossil Record, ed. G. Arratia, and H.-P. Schultze, 239–248. München: Verlag Dr. F. Pfeil.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brito, P.M., and M. Ebert. 2009. A new aspidorhynchid fish (Teleostei: Aspidorhynchiformes) from the Upper Jurassic of Ettling, Solnhofen, Bavaria, Germany. Comptes Rendus Palevol 8: 395–402.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burnham, D.A. 2007. Archaeopteryx—a re-evaluation suggesting an arboreal habitat and an intermediate stage in trees down origin of flight. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie Abh 245(1): 33–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cavender, T.M. 1966. The caudal skeleton of the Cretaceous teleosts Xiphactinus, Ichthyodectes, and Gillicus, and its bearing on their relationship with Chirocentrus. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology 650: 1–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cloutier, R., and G. Arratia. 2004. Early diversification of actinopterygians. In Recent Advances in the Origin and Early Radiation of Vertebrates, ed. G. Arratia, M.V.H. Wilson, and R. Cloutier, 217–270. München: Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ebert, M., and M. Kölbl-Ebert. 2009. Steinbruch Ettling (Markt Pförring) – Grabungsergebnisse 2009. Archaeopteryx 27: 45–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ebert, M., and M. Kölbl-Ebert. 2010. Morphology of the leading edges of the caudal and other unpaired fins in Late Jurassic Aspidorhynchidae and some other actinopterygian fish in light of their function. Archaeopteryx 28: 1–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Egerton, P.G. 1845. On some new species of fossil fish, from the Oxford Clay at Christian Melford. Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society 1: 229–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fürsich, F.T., W. Werner, S. Schneider, and M. Mäuser. 2007. Sedimentology, taphonomy, palaeoecology of a laminated plattenkalk from the Kimmeridgian of the northern Franconian Alb (southern Germany). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 243: 92–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gardiner, B.G., and B. Schaeffer. 1989. Interrelationships of lower actinopterygian fishes. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 97: 135–187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Göhlich, U.B., and L.M. Chiappe. 2006. A new carnivorous dinosaur from the Late Jurassic Solnhofen archipelago. Nature 440(7082): 329–332.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grande, L. 2010. An empirical synthetic pattern study of gars (Lepisosteiformes) and closely related species, based mostly on skeletal anatomy: the resurrection of Holostei. American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Special Publication 6: 1–863.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grande, L., and W.E. Bemis. 1998. A comprehensive phylogenetic study of amiid fishes (Amiidae) based on comparative skeletal anatomy. An empirical search for interconnected patterns of natural history. Memoir (Society of Vertebrate Paleontology) 4: 1–690.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jarvik, E. 1980. Basic structure and evolution of vertebrates, vol. 1. London: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knorr, G.W. 1755. Sammlung von Merckwürdigkeiten der Natur und Alterthümern des Erdbodens, welche petrificirte Körper enthält. Nürnberg: A. Bieling.

  • Krüger, J.F. 1823. Geschichte der Urwelt. Quedlingburg und Leipzig: G. Basse.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lambers, P.H. 1996. A redescription of the coelacanth Macropoma willemoesii VETTER from the lithographic limestone of Solnhofen (Upper Jurassic, Bavaria). In Mesozoic Fishes—Systematic and Paleoecology, ed. G. Arratia, and G. Viohl, 395–407. München: Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil.

    Google Scholar 

  • López-Arbarello, A. 2012. Phylogenetic Interrelationships of Ginglymodian Fishes (Actinopterygii: Neopterygii). PLoS ONE 7(7): e39370.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • López-Arbarello, A., and E. Sferco. 2011. New semionotiform (Actinopterygii: Neopterygii) from the Late Jurassic of southern Germany. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 9: 197–215.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mainwaring, A.J. 1978. Anatomical and systematic revision of the Pachycormidae, a family of Mesozoic fossil fishes, PhD Thesis. London: Westfield College, University of London.

  • Matthews, S.C. 1973. Notes on open nomenclature and on synonymy lists. Palaeontology 16(4): 713–719.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, H. 1861. Archaeopteryx litographica (Vogel-Feder) und Pterodactylus von Solenhofen. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Geognosie, Geologie und Petrefakten-Kunde 1861: 678–679.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, R., and H. Schmidt-Kaler. 1989. Palaeogeographischer Atlas des Sueddeutschen Oberjura (Malm). Geologisches Jahrbuch, A 115: 3–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Münster, G. 1842. Beiträge zur Kenntnis einiger neuen seltenen Versteinerungen aus den lithographischen Schiefern in Baiern. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Geognosie, Geologie und Petrefakten-Kunde 1842: 35–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, G.J. 1972. Cephalic sensory canals, pitlines, and the classification of esocoid fishes, with notes on galaxiids and other teleosts. American Museum Novitates 2492: 1–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicholson, H.A., and R. Lydekker. 1889. A manual of palaeontology. Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patterson, C. 1977. The contribution of paleontology to teleostean phylogeny. In Major patterns in vertebrate evolution, ed. M.K. Hecht, P.C. Goody, and B.M. Hecht, 579–643. New York: Plenum Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Quenstedt, F.A. 1885. Handbuch der Petrefaktenkunde. Tübingen: Verlag H. Laupp’sche Buchhandlung.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rauhut, O.W., C. Foth, H. Tischlinger, and M.A. Norell. 2012. Exceptionally preserved juvenile megalosauroid theropod dinosaur with filamentous integument from the Late Jurassic of Germany. PNAS 109: 11746–11751.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Regan, C.T. 1923. The skeleton of Lepisosteus, with discussion on the origin and evolution of the lower Neopterygian fishes. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 192(3): 445–461.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reis, M. 1887. Über Belonostomus, Aspidorhynchus und ihre Beziehungen zum lebenden Lepisosteus. Sitzungsbericht der bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, mathematisch-physikalischen Classes. Munich 17: 151–177.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richter, M., and M.R.A. Thomson. 1989. First Aspidorhynchidae (Pisces: Teleostei) from Antarctica. Antarctic Science 1(1): 57–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rocha, L.A., and B.W. Bowen. 2008. Speciation in coral-reef fishes. Journal of Fish Biology 72: 1101–1121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Röper, M. 2005. Field Trip B. East Bavarian Plattenkalk—different types of upper Kimmeridgian to lower Tithonian Plattenkalk deposits and facies. Zitteliana B26: 57–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Röper, M., M. Rothgaenger 2013. Altmühltal – Im Reich des Archaeopteryx. Streifzüge durch die Erdgeschichte. Wiebelsheim: Quelle & Meyer Verlag GmbH & Co.

  • Sauvage, M.H.-E. 1893. Note sure quelques poissons du calcaire bitumineaux d’Orbagnoux (Ain). Bulletin de la Société d’Histoire Naturelle d’Autun 6: 1–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmid, D.U., R.L. Leinfelder, and G. Schweigert. 2005. Stratigraphy and paleoenvironments of the upper Jurassic of Southern Germany—a review. Zitteliana B26: 31–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schröder, K.M. and A. López-Arbarello. 2013. Der Schnabelfisch Aspidorhynchus aus den Plattenkalken Süddeutschlands. Freunde der Bayerischen Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie München e.V. Jahresbericht 2012 und Mitteilungen 41: 42–54.

  • Schröder, K.M., A. López-Arbarello, and M. Ebert. 2012. Macrosemimimus gen. nov. (Actinopterygii, Semionotiformes) from the Late Jurassic of Germany, England, and France. Journal of Vertebrate Palaeontology 32(2): 512–529.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schultze, H.-P., and D. Stöhr. 1996. Vinctifer (Pisces, Aspidorhynchidae) aus der Unterkreide (oberes Aptium) von Kolumbien. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie Abhandlungen 199(3): 395–415.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schweigert, G. 2007. Ammonite biostratigraphy as a tool for dating Upper Jurassic lithographic limestones from South Germany—first results and open questions. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie Abhandlungen 245(1): 117–125.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Selden, P., and J. Nudds. 2004. Evolution of Fossil Ecosystems. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taverne, L. 1975. Étude ostéologique de Leptolepis caheni, téléostéen fossile du Jurassique supérieur (Kimméridgien) de Kisangani (ex-Stanleyville, Zaïre) précédemment décrit dans le genre Paraclupavus. Revue de Zoologie Africaine 89: 821–853.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vetter, B. 1881. Die Fische aus dem lithographischen Schiefer im Dresdener Museum. Dresden: Mitteilungen königlichen Mineralogisch-Geologischen und Prähistorischen Museum. 4.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wagner, A. 1863. Monographie der fossilen Fische aus den lithographischen Schiefern Bayern’s. 2. Abhandlungen der Königlich der bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Munich 9(3): 611–748.

  • Wagner, J.A. 1861. Neue Beiträge zur Kenntniss der urweltlichen Fauna des lithographischen Schiefers. Abhandlungen der königlichen bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaft 9(1): 65–124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wellnhofer, P. 2008. Archaeopteryx – Der Urvogel von Solnhofen. München: Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiley, E.O. 1976. The phylogeny and biogeography of fossil and Recent gars (Actinopteryii: Lepisosteidae). University of Kansas, Museum of Natural History Miscellaneous Publication 64: 1–111.

    Google Scholar 

  • Winkler, T.C. 1862. Description de quelques nouvelles espèces de poissons fossils du calcaire lithographique de Solenhofen. Haarlem: Les Héritiers loosjes.

    Google Scholar 

  • Winkler, T.C. 1871. Mémoire sur le Belonostomus pygameus et deux espèces de Caturus. Archives du Musée Teyler, Haarlem 3(2): 173–186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woodward, A.S. 1890. A synopsis of the fossil fishes of the English Lower Oolithes. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 11(6): 285–306.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woodward, A.S. 1895. Catalogue of fossil fishes in the British Museum. London: British Museum of Natural History.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zittel, K.A. 1887. Handbuch der Palaeontologie. Palaeozoologie. III Band. München und Leipzig: R. Oldenburg.

Download references

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to E. Sferco, O.W.M. Rauhut, H. Tischlinger, and C. Foth for enlightening discussions and for sharing valuable information. Thanks are further due to M. Apel, R. Böttcher, Z. Johanson, M. Kölbl-Ebert, O.W.M. Rauhut, M. Röper, and F. Witzmann for access to the material under their care, and R. Albersdörfer and H. Tischlinger for the allowance to study and illustrate specimens of their private collections. R. Albersdörfer, R. Brocke, M. Ebert, and H. Tischlinger provided excellent photographs of numerous specimens. We thank Jürgen Kriwet and F.J. Poyato-Ariza for their helpful revisions on an early version of this paper. Our gratitude also extends to O. Schultz and T. Nichterl for their efforts to locate the type specimens of Aspidorhynchus acutirostris in the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien. This study was financed by the German Research Foundation through the project DFG LO 1405/3-1.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. SNSB-Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie, Richard-Wagner-Strasse 10, 80333, Munich, Germany

    Adriana López-Arbarello & Kerstin M. Schröder

Authors
  1. Adriana López-Arbarello
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kerstin M. Schröder
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adriana López-Arbarello.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (XLSX 60 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

López-Arbarello, A., Schröder, K.M. The species of Aspidorhynchus Agassiz, 1833 (Neopterygii, Aspidorhynchiformes) from the Jurassic plattenkalks of Southern Germany. Paläontol Z 88, 167–185 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-013-0187-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-013-0187-z

Keywords

Schlusselwörter

Search

Navigation