Eolactoria

Eolactoria sorbinii is an extinct prehistoric boxfish that lived during the Lutetian epoch of the middle Eocene, in Monte Bolca.[1] It had two pairs of long spines, one over each eye, and one pair beneath the anal and caudal fins, arranged very similarly to those possessed by the modern genus Lactoria (e.g., "cowfish"), but were, in comparison, much longer. E. sorbinii had a fifth spine between the two eye-spines, arranged and looking very much like a nose.

Eolactoria Temporal range: Lutetian[1] PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Artist's reconstruction
fossil
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Tetraodontiformes
Family:	Ostraciidae
Genus:	†Eolactoria
Species:	†E. sorbinii
Binomial name
†Eolactoria sorbinii Tyler 1975

The only known fossil specimen is about 5 cm (2 in) long.

See also

• Proaracana another boxfish that lived in Monte Bolca
• Oligolactoria a possible descendant from the Oligocene
• Prehistoric fish
• List of prehistoric bony fish

References

1. Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 363: 1–560. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2009-02-27.