Austromola is an extinct genus of ocean sunfish. It contains a single species, A. angerhoferi, known from the Lower Miocene Ebelsberg Formation near Pucking, Austria.[1] It is thought to be the sister taxon to Mola and Masturus.[2]
| Austromola Temporal range:
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|---|---|
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| Life restoration, with Keasius | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Tetraodontiformes |
| Family: | Molidae |
| Genus: | †Austromola Gregorova et al., 2009 |
| Species: | †A. angerhoferi
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| Binomial name | |
| †Austromola angerhoferi Gregorova et al., 2009
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This species was a resident of the Paratethys Sea and is estimated to have reached a length around 320 cm (130 in), and total height around 400 cm (160 in), making it among the largest Cenozoic fossil teleosts known. It has been described as "one of the most spectacular Cenozoic teleost fish" in terms of both size and preservation, as three individual articulated, partially complete specimens are known.[2][3]
References
edit- ^ "PBDB". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ a b Gregorova, Ruzena; Schultz, Ortwin; Harzhauser, Mathias; Kroh, Andreas; Ćorić, Stjepan (12 June 2009). "A giant early Miocene sunfish from the North Alpine Foreland Basin (Austria) and its implication for molid phylogeny". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 29 (2): 359–371. Bibcode:2009JVPal..29..359G. doi:10.1671/039.029.0201. S2CID 54774567.
- ^ "The Ocean Sunfishes: Evolution, Biology and Conservation". Routledge & CRC Press. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
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