Cionichthys Explained

Cionichthys (Ancient Greek for "pillar fish", referring to Big Indian Rock, a rock formation near its type locality) is an extinct genus of freshwater ray-finned fish that inhabited southwestern and eastern North America during the Late Triassic period. It was a member of the Redfieldiiformes, an order of fishes widespread throughout freshwater habitats at this time, especially in North America.^{[1] [2] [3]}

The following species are known:^[4]

• †C. dunklei Schaeffer, 1967 - Carnian of Colorado, USA (Chinle Formation)
• †C. greeni Schaeffer, 1967 - Norian of Texas, USA (Dockum Group)
• †?C. meekeri (Schaeffer & McDonald, 1978) - Carnian of Virginia, USA (Doswell Formation) (alternatively placed in Dictyopyge)^[5]

In addition, indeterminate Cionichthys remains are known from the Carnian to the Norian of the eastern United States, in the formations of the Newark Supergroup. Specimens are known from the Doswell Formation of Virginia, the Lockatong Formation of Pennsylvania & New Jersey (previously placed in Redfieldius obrai), and the Cumnock & Cow Branch Formations of North Carolina.^{[3] [6]} In the west, indeterminate remains are known from the Norian to Rhaetian-aged Chinle Formation of Arizona & Utah, while specimens tentatively assigned to C. greeni are known from the Norian-aged Redonda Formation of New Mexico.^{[7] [8] [9]}

Notes and References

1. Schaeffer . Bobb . 1967 . Late Triassic fishes from the western United States . Bulletin of the AMNH . 135 . 6.
2. Web site: PBDB Taxon . 2024-09-19 . paleobiodb.org.
3. Schaeffer . Bobb . McDonald . Nicholas G. . 1978 . Redfieldiid fishes from the Triassic-Liassic Newark Supergroup of eastern North America. Bulletin of the AMNH ; v. 159, article 4 . Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History . 159 . 4 . 131–173.
4. Romano . Carlo . Koot . Martha B. . Kogan . Ilja . Brayard . Arnaud . Minikh . Alla V. . Brinkmann . Winand . Bucher . Hugo . Kriwet . Jürgen . 2016 . Permian-Triassic Osteichthyes (bony fishes): diversity dynamics and body size evolution (supplementary material) . Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society . 91 . 1 . 106–147 . 10.1111/brv.12161 . 1469-185X . 25431138.
5. Book: Lucas . Spencer G. . FOSSIL RECORD 8 . Blodgett . Robert B. . Lichtig . Asher J. . Hunt . Adrian P. . 2022-08-02 . New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science . en.
6. Olsen . Paul Eric . McCune . Amy Reed . Thomson . Keith Stewart . 1982-01-01 . Correlation of the early Mesozoic Newark Supergroup by vertebrates, principally fishes . American Journal of Science . en . 282 . 1 . 1–44 . 10.2475/ajs.282.1.1.
7. Book: Heckert . Andrew B. . Upper Triassic Stratigraphy and Paleontology: Bulletin 21 . Lucas . Spencer G. . 2002 . New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science . en.
8. Gibson . Sarah Z. . 2016-09-22 . Schubert . Michael . Redescription and Phylogenetic Placement of †Hemicalypterus weiri Schaeffer, 1967 (Actinopterygii, Neopterygii) from the Triassic Chinle Formation, Southwestern United States: New Insights into Morphology, Ecological Niche, and Phylogeny . PLOS ONE . en . 11 . 9 . e0163657 . 10.1371/journal.pone.0163657 . free . 1932-6203 . 5033578 . 27657923.
9. Book: Heckert . Andrew B. . Vertebrate Paleontology in Arizona: Bulletin 29 . Lucas . Spencer G. . 2005 . New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science . en.