Eobothus

Eobothus ('Dawn flounder') is an extinct genus of flatfish from the Eocene epoch of China, India and Europe.

Eobothus
Temporal range: Middle Eocene
fossil of E. minimus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Pleuronectiformes
Family:
Bothidae
Genus:
Eobothus
Type species
Eobothus minimus
Species
  • E. minimus
  • E. singhi

Eobothus is significant as one of the earliest genera of flatfish, one of the last major fish groups to evolve. It closely resembled modern flatfish, with an oval-shaped body about 10 centimetres (4 in) long, surrounded by elongated dorsal and anal fins.[1] In the adult, the eyes were both located on the left side of the head, as in modern species, and the fish would have lain flat against the seafloor on its right side. This was an evolutionary advance from still earlier flatfish, such as Heteronectes, in which the eyes only partially migrated.[2]

References
  1. Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 41. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
  2. S., Ashok; Choudhary, N.K. (1971). "Lower Eocene Fishes from Barmer, South Western Rajasthan, India" (PDF). Proc. Indian Natl. Sci. Acad. 38 (A): 97–102. Retrieved 2009-04-11.


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