''Percalates'' (from '' Perca'' + ''

Lates ''Lates'' is a genus of freshwater and euryhaline lates perches belonging to the family Latidae. The genus, generic name is also used as a common name, lates, for many of the species. All species are predatory, and the Nile perch (''L. niloticus ...

'') is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fish or actinopterygians, is a class of bony fish that comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. They are so called because of their lightly built fins made of webbings of sk ...

native to both estuarine and freshwater habitats of southeastern Australia. They are the only members of the suborder Percalatoidei, and of their own undescribed

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

('Percalatidae').

Description

It contains two species, both of which were previously placed in the

temperate perch Percichthyidae, the temperate perches, are a family of freshwater ray-finned fish found in Australia and southern South America. Formerly placed in the order Perciformes, they are now placed in the order Centrarchiformes. The name Percichthyida ...

genus ''

Macquaria ''Macquaria'' is a genus of medium-sized, predatory temperate perches endemism, endemic to Australia. They are found in rivers of the eastern part of the continent. Species The currently recognized species in this genus are: * ''Macquaria ambigu ...

''. However, more recent phylogenetic studies have found these two species to be the most basal members of the order

Centrarchiformes Centrarchiformes is an order of ray-finned fish, previously included amongst the perciformes. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. (2023). FishBase. Centrarchiformes. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies. ...

, and thus more distantly related to the temperate perches than previously thought. The following species are known: * '' Percalates colonorum'' ( Günther, 1863) -

estuary perch The estuary perch (''Percalates colonorum'') is a species of ray-finned fish endemic to south-eastern Australia, where it prefers brackish waters such as the tidal reaches of coastal lakes, rivers, and streams. Appearance It is very similar to a ...

* ''Percalates novemaculeatus'' (

Steindachner Franz Steindachner (11 November 1834 in Vienna – 10 December 1919 in Vienna) was an Austrian zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist. He published over 200 papers on fishes and over 50 papers on reptiles and amphibians. Steindachner descri ...

, 1866) - Australian bass Well-preserved fossil specimens of the species †'' Percalates antiquus''

Hills A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit, and is usually applied to peaks which are above elevation compared to the relative landmass, though not as prominent as mountains. Hills fall und ...

, 1934 (=''Macquaria antiquua'') have been recovered from the

Early Eocene In the geologic timescale the Ypresian is the oldest age (geology), age or lowest stage (stratigraphy), stratigraphic stage of the Eocene. It spans the time between , is preceded by the Thanetian Age (part of the Paleocene) and is followed by th ...

-aged Redbank Plains Formation of

Queensland, Australia Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, ...

. Partial fossil remains from the

Lutetian The Lutetian is, in the geologic timescale, a stage (stratigraphy), stage or age (geology), age in the Eocene. It spans the time between . The Lutetian is preceded by the Ypresian and is followed by the Bartonian. Together with the Bartonian it ...

-aged marine

Kuldana Formation The Kuldana Formation is a fossil-bearing geological formation of Lutetian (Early Eocene) age which outcrop, crops out in northern Pakistan. The abundant fossil remains were deposited by rivers and estuaries crossing an arid to semi-arid enviro ...

of Pakistan have also been assigned to this species, albeit based on an older taxonomic treatment of the Percichthyidae. Many other fossil remains assigned to this genus are also known the

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch (geology), epoch of the Paleogene Geologic time scale, Period that extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that defin ...

and

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

of Australia, though it is uncertain whether they belong to this genus or to ''Macquaria''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q18387637 Centrarchiformes Ray-finned fish genera Extant Ypresian first appearances