Direct evidence of cannibalism in the Oligocene cutlassfish Anenchelum glarisianum Blainville, 1818 (Perciformes: Trichiuridae)
2009
Př | ikryl T | Novosad B
Cannibalism in ancient fishes is an interesting paleobiological fact which has rarely been identified in the fossil record. One such case is described here. The specimen of a partly preserved Trichiuridae fish, <i>Anenchelum glarisianum, </i>contains the remains of prey inside the body cavity. Two types of prey can be identified, one of which is <i>A. glarisianum</i>. The heads of the prey are oriented posteriorly inside the body cavity. On the basis of analogy with recent populations of trichiurid fish from Taiwan, cannibalism most likely resulted from a paleoecologic imbalance in the population of <i>A. glarisianum </i>in Litenčice. Other known data on the feeding habits of fossil Trichiuridae are mentioned.
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