Approximately 420 million years ago (during the Silurian era), the first fishes appeared on our planet. They were quite clumsy, more benthic, and poor swimmers. Soon they were followed by placoderms, sharks, and finally, the first primitive bony fishes. Al- most simultaneously the first lobe-finned fishes appeared. They ventured out onto land and evolved into amphibians and reptiles, eventually developing into vertebrates. Photos of 900 fossil fishes and over 200 recent descendants, plus several hundred line illus- trations make this book an invaluable reference source for fish lovers, paleontologists, archaeologists, and fossilcollectors of all VES ISBN 1-56465-115-0Photographs Front of cover Back of cover Ceratoichthys pinnatiformis, Top Left: Rhamphosus aculeatus, Verona M. Verona Museum. Top Right: Pygaeus gazolai, Verona Museum. Bottom Left: Acanthura ovalis, Verona Museum. Title page (opposite) Priscacara liops, Eocene, Wyoming, (50 million years), Baensch Collection. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be réproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any other information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Frickhinger, Kast Albert [Fossilien Atlas Fische, English} Fossil atlas, fishes / Karl Frickhinger; translated by R. P. S. Jefferies. ‘1st English language ed. 1088 p. 12x 18 om Inoludes bibliographical references (80 p.) and indexes. ISBN 1-56465-115-0 1. Fishes, Fossil - Atlas. 1. Title QE851.F89213 1995 567! 022'3--do20 95-138 CIP ‘1st. Edition, 1995 ISBN 1-56465-115-0 (U.S.A. onl) ISBN 3-88244-019-8 {for other countries) WL Gade 16822 © Copyright 1991, 1995 Mergus” Verlag GmbH, Hans A. Baensch, P. O. Box 86, 49302 Melle Mergus ®is a registered trademark. Layout Dr. Gero W. Fischer, Quito, Ecuador Lithography: biicher- repro, Bielefeld, Germany Press: Mergus Press, Singapore Exitor: K. A. Frickriinger, Manchen, Germany Original Publisher: Hans A. Baensch, Melle, Germany 1st English Language Ed., 1995 Published in the USA: Tetra Press, Blacksburg, VA Distribution: USA: Tetra Sales (Wamer-Lambert-Company) Blacksburg, VA 24060 Canada Rolf G. Hagen Inc., 3225 Sartelon Street, Montreal, Que. H4R 1E8 Great Britain: Rolf C, Hagen (U.K) Limited, California Drive, Whitwood Industrial Estata, Castleford WF 10 50H, West Yorkshire Australia: Pets Intemational Pty. Ltd., 6 Orohard Ind. Est., Orchard Road, P.O, Box 21, Chester Hil, N.S.W. Pet Pacific Ply. Ltd., Unit C, 30 Skartatt Street, Auburn N.S.W 2144 P. 0, Box 398, Rydalmere N.S.W. 2116 Printed in Singapore al Karl Albert Frickhinger Fossil Atlas Fishes Translated by Dr. R. P. S. Jefferies, London aa MERGUS Publishers for Natural History and Pet Books Hans A. Baensch « Melle + GermanyPreface There is no lack of general literature on fossil invertebrates. Am- monites and trilobites, especially, have been very thoroughly treated in the last one hundred years and there are many texts available on faunas and particular systematic groups. Above all there is the well known “Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology’— an available work that leaves very little to be desired It is true that the last few years have given us “The Handbook of Palaevichthyology” and “The Handbook of Palaecherpetology”. Unfortunately, however, neither work is complete and we may have to wait many years before all the volumes are available. More- over, both are purely scientific works whose main objective is the diagnosis of genera. It is therefore understandabie that they do not give as many figures as the editors and authors would no doubt have wished. Because of this, the readership is effectively restricted to scientific professionals and a few especially inter- ested amateurs. Apart from these two important works, little choice remains, The vertebrate literature must be gathered laboriously together and all-inclusive works hardly exist. As to fish, the last and only at- tempt to record all known fossil fishes, and illustrate them with masterly engravings, was made by Agassiz. He wrote 150 years ago, however. Only a few complete copies are left and they fetch an extremely high price—more a book lover's rarity than a practi- cal work. These considerations prompted me to produce the present work. It is a “picture book." | do not intend it to compete with more scientific works, since | knew from the start that it could be no more than a useful supplement to the specialised literature. Nevertheless, it was no easy task. | have visited most of the im- portant museums in the world and suffered a great deal of drudg- ery. | have searched through the collections for hours at a time, finally to photograph only those fishes still lacking. At first, every- thing went quickly, but once | had reached a certain level, it be- came more and more difficult to find anything new. Above all, | had set myself to photograph very well preserved specimens only. Thus | soon discovered that many of the 2500 genera so far de- scribed were based on incomplete specimens only, or even on single dorsal shields, teeth, spines or scales. No doubt there is 4 Preface eeeeen ee rial to which | never had access or have over- re ROEM, could only be true of a fraction of the gen- oa shown in this book. ; Another great difficulty was the nomenclature. In many collec- tions | came across old specimens labelled with antique synonyms, or even undetermined material. | have made great efforts to bring everything into order; with the wiling help of certain specialists, to whom | am very grateful. Nevertheless, | cannot guarantee ab- solute correctness in all cases. | sincerely ask that, if the reader finds a mistake, he tells me of it. - What readership is this book intended for? The scientific special- ist may find in it a pictorial supplement to the technical literature. Besides that, he may be glad to know in what museum the fishes are kept which interest him. The museum curator will be able, using this book, to look over what is on offer and thus discover how his collections may sensibly be expanded. The student of palaeontology will be given a general view of most of the fossil fish fauna. The book will be of greatest interest to fossil collec- tors. Finally, | do not forget the amateur , whether angler or aqua- rist, who is interested in fishes. Up till now he has not had the chance to see what the ancestors of his fishes looked like, how they evolved nor how long they have already been on earth. Autumn, 1994, Planegg.Contents Preface «. 4 Acknowledgements .. 7 Collecting Fossils... The Photography of Fossils... Evolution in Geological Time .... The Origin of Life and the Evolution of Fishes The External Features of Fishes The Groups of Fishes Agnatha (Jawless Fishes)... Placodermi (Placoderms) sss: Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous fishes) Acanthodii (Acanthodians) .... . Chondrostei_ (Chondrosteans) “Holostei" (Holosteans)..... Teleostei_ (True Bony Fishes . . Euteleostei (Higher Bony Fishes)... . 573 Crossopterygii (Lobe-finned Fishes) 939 Dipnoi (LUNG Fishes)... 975 Literature 996-1025 index of Genera and Synonyms .. Index of Orders, Suborders, and Families... Index of Genera, Arranged by Formation Index of Genera, Arranged by Locality . Index of Recent Families and Genera ............+ The Author .... Picture Credits — Acknowledgements rrr which involved great personal and financial outlay, have been finished without jhe most generous help s of the world, It is therefore a pleasant duty to thank ms and institutes who allowed me to photograph the finest specimens in their collections or made photographs avai- hie free of charge. | would also Tke to thank all those who so willingly answered my questions when anything was unclear to me vam particularly grateful to Prof. Schultze, of Lawrence, Kansas, USA. and Or. Patterson of London whom | sometimes burdened beyond all reason and whose advice was especially helpful as concerns the new systematics. Dr. Wellnhofer, of Munich, likewise deserves my special thanks. {am also deeply indebted to the firm of Tetrawerke, Melle, and its Director Herr J Sander, who not only ‘organised my Moscow journey but financed it. This book, could never from all part all the Museu The following list is arranged alphabetically by town or city. ‘Adelaide, Australia, Museum of Natural History, Dr. N. Pledge. Amsterdam, Netherlands, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Geologi- cal Museum, Dr. J. H. Werner. Bergamo, Italy, Museo Civico di Scienze Naturali, Or. Paganoni, Berlin, Museum fur Naturkunde, Dr. Jager, Dr. W.-D. Heinrich. Bloemfontein, South Africa, National Museum, Dr. C. M., Engel- brecht, Dr. B. Rubidge. Brisbane, Australia, Queensland Museum, Dr. R. E. Moinar. Bristol, England, University of Bristol, Prof. D. L. Dineley. Brussels, Belgium, Institut Royale des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Dr. P. Sartenaar Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Geological Survey of Canada, Dr. R. \orsteinsson. Canberra, Australia, Australian National University, Prof. K. S. W. Campbell. Canberra, Australia, Division of Continental Geology, Dr. G. Young. Capetown, South Africa, South African Museum, Dr. M. A. Cluver, Dr. R. Smith. Chicago, Illinois, U.S A., Field Museum of Natural History, Dr. L. Grande, Dr. C. Forster. Cleveland, Ohio, U. S. A., Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Dr. M. E. Williams, Dr. G. L. Jackson. Copenhagen, Denmark, Geological Museum, Dr. 8. S. Bang, Dr. S. Bendix-Almgren. 7