Eolactoria

Eolactoria ("dawn Lactoria") is an extinct genus of highly unusual prehistoric boxfish from the Eocene. It contains a single species, E. sorbinii from the Ypresian-aged Monte Bolca site in Italy.^[1][2][3]

Life restoration

Eolactoria Temporal range: Late Ypresian[1] PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Fossil specimen
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Tetraodontiformes
Family:	Ostraciidae
Genus:	†Eolactoria Tyler, 1975
Species:	†E. sorbinii
Binomial name
†Eolactoria sorbinii Tyler 1975

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 much longer. E. sorbinii had a fifth spine between the two eye-spines, arranged and looking very much like a nose.

The only known fossil specimen is about 5 cm (2 in) long.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Paleontology portal
• Fish portal

• 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.
2. "PBDB Taxon". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
3. Carnevale, G.; Bannikov, Alexandre F.; Marramà, G.; Tyler, James C.; Zorzin., R. (2014). "The Bolca Fossil-Lagerstätte: A window into the Eocene World. 5. The Pesciara- Monte Postale Fossil-Lagerstätte: 2. Fishes and other vertebrates. Excursion guide" (PDF). Rendiconti della Società Paleontologica Italiana. 4 (1): i–xxvii. hdl:10088/25678.