Joinvillichthys, 2014

Taverne, Louis & Capasso, Luigi, 2014, On the “ Coccodus ” lindstroemi species complex (Pycnodontiformes, Gladiopycnodontidae) from the marine Late Cretaceous of Lebanon, with the description of two new genera, European Journal of Taxonomy 101, pp. 1-27 : 4

Joinvillichthys gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6D820D8E-DF5C-41E9-B351-F46F7A9D4119

Type species: Coccodus lindstroemi Davis, 1890 (here designated).

Diagnosis

Gladiopycnodontid with an elongate prefrontal forming a short rostrum outpacing the lower jaw level. Anterior extremity of the prefrontal acuminate and spiny. Vomer bearing small rounded molariform teeth irregularly ranged. Orbitosphenoid, pleurosphenoid and basisphenoid present. Supratemporal sutured to the rear of the skull. Premaxilla long, broad, toothless and sutured by its upper margin to the prefrontal. Dentary bearing 2 incisiform teeth. Hypertrophied trapezoid preopercle covering the cheek. Large first infraorbital (only known in Joinvillichthys kriweti gen. et sp. nov.). Exposed part of the hyomandibula-dermohyomandibula much smaller than the preopercle. Long nuchal horn with a spiny posterior margin and articulated only on the dermosupraoccipital. Pectoral girdle closely associated to the skull, forming a cephalo-thorax. Cleithrum hypertrophied, with a gigantic posterior ventral process. Hypercleithrum hypertrophied. Well developed posttemporal, with an acuminate posterior extremity. 16 to 17 neural spines, all fused to the neural arches, before the epichordal series. 10 haemal spines before the hypochordal series (only known in Joinvillichthys lindstroemi ). Short dorsal fin with 8 or 9 rays. Short anal fin with 7 to 9 rays. 7 to 9 spiny scutes in the dorsal ridge. 3 or 4 scutes in the ventral keel, the last scute or the two last ones associated to the postcoelomic bone. Body completely covered by small, flake-like scales in the abdominal region and by large, scute-like scales in the caudal region.

Etymology

The generic name is chosen in memory of Lord Jean de Joinville (1224–1317), seneschal of Champagne, who related in his biography of Louis IX the presentation of some Lebanese fossil fishes to this French king at Saïda during the seventh crusade ( Gayet et al. 2012: 8). The Greek word ichthys, fish, is added.