''Paranogmius'' is an extinct genus of prehistoric

bony fish Osteichthyes (), popularly referred to as the bony fish, is a diverse superclass of fish that have skeletons primarily composed of bone tissue. They can be contrasted with the Chondrichthyes, which have skeletons primarily composed of cartilag ...

that lived during the

Cenomanian The Cenomanian is, in the ICS' geological timescale, the oldest or earliest age of the Late Cretaceous Epoch or the lowest stage of the Upper Cretaceous Series. An age is a unit of geochronology; it is a unit of time; the stage is a unit in the s ...

. It is known from only 2 partial skulls and several dorsal vertebrae discovered in the Bahariya Formation that was destroyed during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

.Weiler, W. (1935)
Ergebnisse der Forschungsreisen Prof. Stromers in den Wusten Aegyptens. II. Wirbeltierreste der Baharije-Stufe (unterstes Cenoman). 16. Neue Untersuchungen an den Fischresten.
''Abhandlungen der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Abteilung'', ''32'', pls-1. Since then, no more fossils have been discovered. It may have been up to 3 meters (10 feet) long.Taverne, L. (2003)
Redescription critique des genres Thryptodus, Pseudothryptodus et Paranogmius, poissons marins (Teleostei, Tselfatiiformes) du Crétacé supérieur des États-Unis, d'Egypte et de Libye
''Belgian Journal of Zoology'', ''133''(2), 163-174.

Discovery and history

The first and only remains of ''Paranogmius'' were discovered by crews working for Ernst Stromer in 1916 in the Gebel el Dist district of the

Bahariya Oasis El-Wahat el-Bahariya or el-Bahariya ( ar, الواحات البحرية "''El-Wāḥāt El-Baḥrīya''", "the Northern Oases"); is a Depression (geology), depression and a naturally rich oasis in the Western Desert (Egypt), Western Desert of Egypt ...

in Egypt, and were taken to the Palaeontological Museum, Munich. The remains consisted of just 2 partial posterior skulls and several vertebrae, and weren't fully described until 1935 by Wilhelm Weiler, naming it ''Paranogimus doederleini'' due to its similarities to ''

Pentanogmius ''Pentanogmius'' is an extinct genus of sail-finned ray-finned fish that lived during the Late Cretaceous in what is now Europe and the USA. Five species are currently recognized, 2 from Cenomanian to Turonian Europe and 3 better known species fr ...

'', and the species name after German Paleontologist Ludwig Döederlein. Weiler noted the great size of the remains, with one of the partial skulls, the type (BSPG 1912 VIII 99), preserved at 45 centimeters long. ''Paranogmius'' fossils were destroyed during the Bombing of Munich during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

along with many other finds from

Bahariya El-Wahat el-Bahariya or el-Bahariya ( ar, الواحات البحرية "''El-Wāḥāt El-Baḥrīya''", "the Northern Oases"); is a depression and a naturally rich oasis in the Western Desert of Egypt. It is approximately 370 km away from ...

. Since 1935, no additional material has been described, although ''Concavotectum moroccensis'' may be synonymous.Cavin L, Tong H, Boudad L, Meister C, Piuz A, Tabouelle J, et al. (2010) Vertebrate assemblages from the early Late Cretaceous of southeastern Morocco: An overview. Journal of African Earth Sciences Geological Society of Africa Presidential Review No 16 57: 391–412.

Description

''Paranogmius'' was a Plethodid, meaning it likely had a large dorsal fin and a fusiform body like its relatives. ''Paranogmius'' also shares the triangular head shape, chewing plate, and wide snout with Plethodids like ''Pentanogmius''. ''Paranogmius'' diagnostic differences from other Plethodids are mostly from the dentary and posterior skull region. The most remarkable feature of ''Paranogmius'' is its size, with estimates placing it at 3 meters long.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7135514 Tselfatiiformes Late Cretaceous fish Bahariya Formation Fossil taxa described in 1935