Coelodus Heckel, 1854

Poyato-Ariza F. J. & Wenz S., 2002, A new insight into pycnodontiform fishes, Geodiversitas 24 (1), pp. 139-248 : 146

Genus Coelodus Heckel, 1854

TYPE SPECIES. — By original designation: Coelodus saturnus Heckel, 1854 . Turonian-Santonian (Ortwin pers. comm. 1999) from Komen, formerly Comeno, Slovenia. Holotype of Coelodus saturnus: NMW 1857 .XXXIII.2 ( Fig. 2A ). The valid date for the generic name Coelodus is not 1856, since Heckel first mentioned it in 1854 (p. 435, with a diagnosis given on p. 449). In 1854, the species C. saturnus is explicitly designed as “als Typus”. Both the genus Coelodus and the species C. saturnus are revisited by Heckel in 1856, where the holotype is figured for the first time ( Heckel 1856: pl. 3, fig. 1; this plate caption reads “ Pycnodus Saturnus ”, but this is surely a printing error, as in all parts of the text and in the original label of the specimen the name is “ Coelodus Saturnus ”). Again, C. saturnus is desiged as “als Typus” ( Heckel 1856: 203). The holotype is shown in the present paper on Fig. 2A . Some isolated dentitions have also been referred to this species ( Schultz & Paunoviae 1997; Cavin et al. 2000). NOMINA DUBIA. — C. rosthorni Heckel, 1854 , Late Cretaceous from Komen, Slovenia; C. suillus Heckel, 1854 , Late Cretaceous from the Island of Lesina, Dalmatia, Kroatia. They are named and described in 1854, figured by the same author later on, in 1856. Both species are based on fragmentary material, apparently indistinguishable from C. saturnus , and are probably conspecific with the type species.

INVALID NAMES. —“ Coelodus ” bassanii , for comments see? Proscinetes bassanii . “ Coelodus ” ponsorti , for comments see Oropycnodus n. gen.

OTHER SPECIES. — For other species based on complete specimens formerly referred to this genus, see Ocloedus n. gen. There are numerous nominal species of Coelodus based on isolated dentitions from France, Istria, Dalmatia, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, and South America. They are in need of revision, as probably many of them will eventually fit better in Ocloedus n. gen. (see diagnosis in the Systematics section below). MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Holotype (articulated specimen; nearly complete fish, not well preserved; skull especially defective but showing an excellent prearticular dentition; good caudal endoskeleton). NHML P.5947 (juvenile specimen, imperfect preservation, previously referred to C. suillus ).

Figures

FIG. 2. — Forms previously referred to the genus Coelodus Heckel, 1854; A, C. saturnus Heckel, 1854, type species, holotype, NMW.XXXIII.2. Photo Schumacher, courtesy Ortwin Schultz; B, Ocloedus subdiscus n. comb., topotype MNHN MSE 965. Photo Serrette. Scale bars: A, 5 cm; B, 1 cm.