Thaumaturus furcatus REUSS , 1844

Přikryl, Tomáš, 2011, Lepidological Review On The Fish Fauna Of The Kučlín Locality (Upper Eocene, Czech Republic), Acta Musei Nationalis Pragae Series B 67 (3 - 4), pp. 149-156 : 151-154

Thaumaturus furcatus REUSS, 1844

D e s c r i p t i o n: The scales of this species are cycloid ( Text-fig. 3 ). They are extremely thin and often are preserved as just “pigmented shadows”, without detailed morphology ( Text-fig. 3c ). The shape of individual scales is subsquarish, with more roundish posterior edge. The nucleus is situated more or less in the middle portion of the scale. The circuli are very fine (see Text-fig. 3f ) and often they are not visible separately at all. At the posterior side, the dorsal and ventral part of the circuli merges together in an acute angle. Annuli were not recognized. The radii are developed in higher number in the posterior edge. The articulated scales at the surface of the body are often preserved (Gaudant et Meunier, 2004: fig. 13; Text-figs 3 b-d).

R e m a r k s: The description of the scales is the same as was provided by Obrhelová (1975).The lateral line runs along the vertebral column ( Obrhelová, 1975).

Laube (1900: fig. 5) figured articulated scales of the species with notches on their posterior edges, which can suggest presence of the ctenii. This confusion was caused by radii.

The systematic position of Thaumathurus furcatus has not been fixed. The species was traditionally considered as salmoniform (e.g. Laube, 1901; Obrhelová, 1975), or osteoglossid (Gaudant, 1981). More recently Gaudant et Meunier (2004) presented a connection of the thaumaturids to esociforms, mainly on the basis of paleohistological characteristics.

Thaumaturus fossils are known from the Kostomlaty,

Řisuty and Leská localities in the České středohoří Mts.

area ( Obrhelová, 1979).

Perciformes

Figures

Text-fig. 3. Thaumaturus furcatus, scales. a – reconstruction according to Obrhelová (1975); b – specimen NMP Pc 164, scales in situ; c – detail of the postanal part of the specimen NMP Pc 164 with the preserved scale covering. d – specimen NMP Pc 191, scales in situ; e – h isolated scales: e – NMP Pc 185; f – NMP Pc 239, scale 1; g – NMP Pc 239, scale 2; h – NMP Pc 241. Head should be in the left (excluding d). Scale bars represent 5 mm (b, d) 1 mm (c) and 0.5 mm (e-h).