An Early Cretaceous (late Albian) halecomorph (? Ionoscopiformes) fish from the Toolebuc Formation of the Eromanga Basin, Queensland

Abstract

The partial neurocranium of a relatively small, halecomorph fish is described as Canaryichthys rozefeldsi gen. et sp. nov. and represents the first possible ionoscopiform from the Cretaceous of Australia. The specimen was collected from the marine Toolebuc Formation of the Eromanga Basin, near Boulia, in the central west of Queensland, deposited during the Early Cretaceous (late Albian) when an epeiric sea covered much of the centre of the State. It is undistorted and preserved in 3-dimensions but lacks all but the cranial vault. Canaryichthys has many features in common with the enigmatic English Jurassic ‘caturid’ neurocranium redescribed and figured by Patterson (1975) as ‘Aspidorhynchus’ sp., (originally described by Rayner, 1948) and also appears to have affinity with the Early Cretaceous (Aptian), Oshunia, from South America.