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Eomyctophum

Eomyctophum is an extinct genus of lanternfish that inhabited the Peri-Tethys region and later the Paratethys Sea from the Eocene to the Oligocene. Its remains are known from throughout eastern Europe & western Asia in both the Caucasus and Carpathians. Fossils of this genus comprises both articulated skeletons and otoliths suggesting it was a particularly common genus of fish.

Last revised
Aug 7, 2026
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≈ 2 min
Length
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Eomyctophum
Temporal range:
Eomyctophum koraense and Sardina sardinites 34 maf olig romania
Fossil specimen of E. cozlae (bottom) with Sarmatella (top) from Romania
Artistic reconstruction of Eomyctophum mainardii
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Myctophiformes
Family: Myctophidae
Subfamily: †Eomyctophinae
Genus: †Eomyctophum
Daniltshenko, 1947
Type species
†Eomyctophum koraensis
Daniltshenko, 1947
Species
  • E. cozlae Ciobanu, 1977
  • E. koraensis Daniltshenko, 1947
  • E. mainardii Calzoni, Giusberti & Carnevale, 2025
  • E. polysarcum (Gorjanovic-Kramberger, 1880)

Eomyctophum ("dawn Myctophum") is an extinct genus of lanternfish that inhabited the Peri-Tethys region and later the Paratethys Sea from the Eocene to the Oligocene.1 Its remains are known from throughout eastern Europe & western Asia in both the Caucasus and Carpathians. Fossils of this genus comprises both articulated skeletons and otoliths suggesting it was a particularly common genus of fish.23

It is the only member of the extinct subfamily Eomyctophinae, although Eokrefftia may also belong in it.4 The earliest known member of the genus was identified from the Early Eocene of Italy in 2025, millions of years earlier and further west than the other species.5

Taxonomy

The following species are known:2

The former species E. gracilis and E. limicolus are now placed in the blackchin Beckerophotus and the lanternfish Oligophus respectively.2

References

References

  1. Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
  2. Prokofiev, A. M. (2006-12-01). "Fossil myctophoid fishes (Myctophiformes: Myctophoidei) from Russia and adjacent regions". Journal of Ichthyology. 46 (1): S38–S83. Bibcode:2006JIch...46S..38P. doi:10.1134/S0032945206100043. ISSN 1555-6425.
  3. Danilʹchenko, P. G. (1967). Bony Fishes of the Maikop Deposits of the Caucasus: Kostistye Ryby Maĭkopskikh Otlozheniĭ Kavkaza. Israel Program for Scientific Translations [available from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Information, Springfield, Va.]
  4. Schwarzhans, Werner W.; Carnevale, Giorgio (2024-10-04). "Fish Otoliths from the Upper Oligocene and Lower Miocene of the Monferrato and Turin Hill, Northern Italy". Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia. 130 (3) 23455. Bibcode:2024RIPS..13023455S. doi:10.54103/2039-4942/23455. ISSN 2039-4942.
  5. Calzoni, Pietro; Giusberti, Luca; Carnevale, Giorgio (2025-07-29). "THE YPRESIAN FISHES OF THE SOLTERI LAGERSTÄTTE (TRENTO, NORTHERN ITALY): A GLIMPSE INTO THE EARLY EOCENE TETHYAN MESOPELAGIC ASSEMBLAGES". Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia. 131 (2) 28705. Bibcode:2025RIPS..13128705C. doi:10.54103/2039-4942/28705. hdl:11577/3557823. ISSN 2039-4942.