Xiphactinus, Prosaurodon, Chirocentrus and Portheus

Fish - Chordata

Basal Chordata

Chondrichthyes

Acipenseriformes

Placodermi

Siluriformes - Acanthodii

Elopomorpha

Tetrapoda

Reptilia/Amniota

Lepidosauromorpha

Cephalerpeton clade

Captorhinidae

Milleretta Limnoscelis clade

Bolosaurus Diadectes clade

Turtle Pareiasaur clade

Fenestrasauria • Pterosauria

Protosquamata

Squamata

Archosauromorpha

Basal Archosauromorpha

Chirocentrus dorab (Cuvier 1816; up to 60cm) is the extant wolf herring, a smaller open seas relative to the Cretaceous Xiphactinus.

Prosaurodon pygmaeus (Stewart 1999; Late Cretaceous) is a sister to the extant wolf herring in the LRT. Note the predentary 'sword'.

Xiphactinus audax (Leidy 1870; Late Cretaceous; up to 6m in length) was a large traditional ray-fin fish. Here nests with the piranha, Serrasalmus. The teeth are longer and stronger in this clade. Prior reconstructions did not indicate a long premaxilla and open cheek. Like the piranha a parasagittal crest is present. The torso is much longer.

Portheus molossus (Cope 1872; Late Cretaceous; is considered a junior synonym for Xiphactinus, which was described above. However, note the gracile jugal and postorbital and different shapes for several other facial bones, included the tabular (red). Compare to Scorpis, basal to flatfish.

Bronn HG 1858. Beiträge zur triassischen Fauna und Flora der bituminösen Schiefer von Raibl. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Geologie udn Paläontologie 1:1–32.

Cuvier G 1816. Le règne animal distribué d’après son organisation, pour servir de base à l’histoire naturelle des animaux et d’introduction à l’anatomie comparée. Les reptiles, les poissons, les mollusques et les annélides. Déterville, Paris. Vol. 2, Edition 1: i-xviii, 1-532, (pls. 9-10, in v. 4).

Leidy J 1870. [Remarks on ichthyodorulites and on certain fossil Mammalia]. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia 22:12–13.

Stewart JD 1999. A new genus of Saurodontidae (Teleostei, †Ichthyodectiformes) from Upper Cretaceous rocks of the Western Interior of North America. Mesozoic Fishes 2—Systematics and Fossil Record 335-360.

wiki/Xiphactinus
wiki/Chirocentrus
wiki/Prosaurodon - net yet posted

Elopomorpha

Elops

Megalops

Annaichthys

Clupea

Hiodon

Osteoglossum

Xiphactinus

Notelops

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