Lates

Otero, Olga, 2004, Anatomy, systematics and phylogeny of both Recent and fossil latid fishes (Teleostei, Perciformes, Latidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 141 (1), pp. 81-133 : 126-127

LATES FOSSIL SPECIES ( FIG. 64 ; TABLE 5)

Seven fossil species are attributed to the genus Lates . Some show apomorphies of the family. Their other known characteristics are discussed in Table 5.

(1) † L. bispinosus is known from a single specimen lacking the posterior half of the body and the anterior part of the head. It shows the apomorphic state for most of the family characters, and a count of 11 abdominal vertebrae (a character of the unnamed taxon). The state is unknown for the identified Psammoperca + Lates characters. However, the presence of the Lates pleurosphenoid pedicle is probable. Furthermore, it does not share any of the Psammoperca apomorphies. So, it may be a Lates , but it is certainly not a Psammoperca .

(2) † L. partshii ( Heckel, 1856; Middle Miocene of Austria) shows one Lates + Psammoperca character state: the presence of two epurals. Furthermore. it resembles Lates with the presence of three spines on the posterior border of the cleithrum.

The states for the four other fossil Lates species is unknown for any of the latid characters.

(3) † L. gregarius ( Bannikov, 1992; Upper Miocene of Northern Moldavia) has the predorsal formula 0/0/ 0 + II/I + I/, which is the formula shared by the percoid fish in this analysis except Ambassis and some autapomorphic taxa.

(4) & (5) † L. macropterus ( Bassani, 1889; Oligocene of Chiavon, Italy) and † L. croaticus (Kramberger,

1.0->1

1902; Miocene of Croatia) are too badly preserved to determine any character state.

(6) † L. karungae ( Greenwood, 1951; Miocene, Lake Victoria, Kenya) is only known by isolated vertebrae. Lacking any contradictory characters, the species is left in the genus Lates .

NB. (7) Another species of Lates has just been described in the Lower Oligocene of Egypt ( Murray & Attia, 2004).

Figures

Figure 64. Strict consensus of the five most parsimonious trees (indices in the text) obtained by a cladistic analysis of character states summarized in the data matrix (Table 4). The character state changes are given. Apomorphies are in bold type. See Fig. 65 for the area of disagreement.