Early Cretaceous Freshwater Fish Fauna in Kyushu, Japan

Early Cretaceous Freshwater Fish Fauna in Kyushu. Japan 147
Genus Aokiichthys gen. nov.
Diagnosis. It differs from other genera of the family Lycopteridae in having the
combination of following characters. The dorsal origin is vertical with the anal
origin, before or behind the anal origin. The dorsal fin is small. The number of
vertebrae is 34 to 36, with 17 to 19 caudal vertebrae. The number of ribs is 14 to 15.
The number of branched caudal fin rays is 15. The length of the anal fin base is
long and is contained 1.6 to 2.3 times in the length of the dorsal fin base. The large
teeth are present on the parasphenoid. The pectoral fin is long and reaches or
extends over the pelvic insertion. The number of dorsal fin rays is 9 to 12. The
number of anal fin rays is 17 to 21. The range of size is 34.8 to 146.7 mm in
standard length.
Type species.
Aokiichthys toriyamai sp. nov.
Etymology. The generic name, Aokiichthys consists of Aoki, the name of Mr. Tateyu
Aoki, who collected and donated most specimens of this genus to the Kitakyushu
Museum and Institute of Natural History, and ichthys, a Greek word meaning fish.
Remarks. The combination of following characters indicates that this new genus,
Aokiichthys, is a member of the teleostean fish order Osteoglossiformes: 1) the median
fins are relatively posterior in position, 2) the large teeth arc present on the
parasphenoid, 3) the premaxilla and dentary have canine like teeth, 4) the pectoral
fin is long, 5) the scries of supraneurals are present.
Seven families and about twenty genera of the Osteoglossomorpha are known
from the Upper Jurassic to Recent in Africa, America, East Indies, Australia and
Asia.
Among them, most Mesozoic genera (excepting Chandlerichlhys from Middle
Cretaceous deposits of North America by Grande, 1986) are known from Upper
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Fig. 30. Paralycoptera wui Chang &Chou, 1974. From Chang and Chou, 1977.