Eolactoria sorbinii is an extinct prehistoric boxfish that lived during the Lutetian epoch of the middle Eocene, in Monte Bolca.[1] It had two pairs of long spines, one over each eye, and one pair beneath the anal and caudal fins, arranged very similarly to those possessed by the modern genus Lactoria (e.g., "cowfish"), but much longer. E. sorbinii had a fifth spine between the two eye-spines, arranged and looking very much like a nose.
| Eolactoria Temporal range:
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|---|---|
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| Artist's reconstruction | |
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| fossil | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Tetraodontiformes |
| Family: | Ostraciidae |
| Genus: | †Eolactoria Tyler, 1975 |
| Species: | †E. sorbinii
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| Binomial name | |
| †Eolactoria sorbinii Tyler 1975
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The only known fossil specimen is about 5 cm (2 in) long.
See also
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- Proaracana another boxfish that lived in Monte Bolca
- Oligolactoria a possible descendant from the Oligocene
- Prehistoric fish
- List of prehistoric bony fish
References
edit- ^ a b Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 363: 1–560. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
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