PERCIFORMES BLEEKER, 1859

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 : 83-84

ORDER PERCIFORMES BLEEKER, 1859 SUBORDER PERCOIDEI BLEEKER, 1859 FAMILY LATIDAE JORDAN, 1923

Emended diagnosis: Percoid family characterized by: mesethmoid projections present; supraoccipital crest extending far forward between the frontals; reduction of the metapterygoid lamina to a relictual ridge and a notch; single supramaxilla with or without an anterior process; sensory canal on the ascending branch of the preoperculum in a bony tube; first haemal spine trifid; a single dorsal supernumerary spine; spines developed on the caudal border of the cleithral plate (lost by Psammoperca ); ventral expansion of the cleithral plate; and a sharp pointed process of the pelvic girdle.

In addition, they have: laterally compressed body; maxillae extending posteriorly beyond the midpoint of the eyes (sometimes to the level of the posterior margin of the eyes); prognathus jaw; supraoccipital crest and continuous fronto-parietal crests; posterior process of the epiotic present; teeth on the vomer, palatine, ectopterygoid, premaxilla and dentary; posterior process of the premaxilla with a concave posterior border (unknown in † Eolates ); ventral border of the first infraorbital and posterior border of the posttemporal serrated; cephalic sensory canals running in bony tubes; large triangular spine at the posterior angle of the two preopercular limbs; 3–4 (rarely more) strong triangular spines developed on the ventral border of the properculum horizontal limb (lost by Psammoperca and L. stappersi ); one well-developed opercular spine; vertebral column with 24 or 25 (sometimes 26) vertebrae, of which usually 11 are abdominal (ten in a single species); VC = 10/11+13/15(4); an enlarged neural spine of the second vertebra; no parapophyses on the 5–7 anteriormost vertebrae; 4-8 pairs of epineurals; Predorsal = /0/0+0+II/I+I/or 0/0/ 0+II/I+I/ (most common latid formulae) or other equivalent predorsal formula; one dorsal supernumerary spine; D = VIII/IX+8/13, dorsal fins separated by a gap with one or two isolated spines; A = II/III+7/9; first anal pterygiophore slightly inclined backwards and not hypertrophied; two anal supernumerary spines; anal and dorsal anteriormost pterygiophores bipartite, posteriormost ones tripartite; stegural present; uroneural present or absent; two or three epurals; caudal spur of the first ventral marginal ray absent or present; caudal fin with posterior border rounded, truncated or forked; C = (6/11)-I-8: 7-I-(6/9); Pelv = I+5; Pect = 16/17; seven branchiostegal rays; pseudobranch covered; ctenoid scales small to moderate in size, dorsally not extending on to the head in front of the midpoint of the eye (usually beyond the posterior border of the orbit), present on cheek and operculum and scaly sheath at the base of the median fins; lateral line scales extending on to the caudal fin and usually reaching its posterior border in one or three rows.

Occurrence: About ten Recent species within two genera ( Lates and Psammoperca ), in fresh to brackish and estuarine waters of tropical Africa and in the marine waters of the Indo-Pacific coasts, and nine fossil species in the genera Lates and † Eolates , in freshwater to brackish habitats and marine waters of Afro-Arabia and Europe (see below).

Remark: The material of a proposed latid fish from the Maastrichtian and early Late Palaeocene of Bolivia was noted by Gayet (1991), and described by Gayet & Meunier (1998). None of the apomorphies at the familial or generic level is described for this perciform fish, and therefore I remain cautious of this determination and propose it be left in an incertae sedis position.