Marcopoloichthys

Marcopoloichthys Temporal range: Middle Triassic–Late Triassic PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Specimens of M. furreri
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Infraclass:	Teleosteomorpha
Family:	†Marcopoloichthyidae Tintori et al, 2007
Genus:	†Marcopoloichthys Tintori, Sun, Lombardo, Jiang, Sun, Rusconi & Hao, 2007
Species
M. ani Tintori et al, 2007 M. andreetti Tintori et al, 2007 M. faccii (Gortani, 1907) M. furreri Arratia, 2022 M. mirigioliensis Arratia et al, 2024

Marcopoloichthys is an extinct genus of marine teleosteomorph ray-finned fish known from the Middle and Late Triassic of the former Tethys Ocean (Italy, Switzerland, and China). It is the only genus in the family Marcopoloichthyidae. It was originally described based on specimens from both Italy and China, hence the name Marcopoloichthys, which references the medieval Venetian merchant Marco Polo, who traveled from Italy to China.^[1][2]

Five species are known:

• M. ani Tintori et al., 2007 – Anisian of Yunnan, China. (type species)^[1]
• M. andreetti Tintori et al., 2007 – Ladinian of Lombardy, Italy.^[1]
• M. faccii (Gortani, 1907) – Carnian of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy (initially described as Pholidophorus faccii)^[1]
• M. furreri Arratia, 2022 – Ladinian of Grisons, Switzerland^[3]
• M. mirigioliensis Arratia et al., 2024 – late Anisian of the Besano Formation (Monte San Giorgio, Ticino, Switzerland)^[4]

The youngest Marcopoloichthys fossils are of an undescribed species from the Norian of Friuli, Italy.^[3]

Marcopoloichthys was a small, scaleless fish with highly specialized, protractile jaws for suction feeding, and a combination of primitive and advanced morphological characters that make it difficult to phylogenetically place. Initially described as an indeterminate basal neopterygian, more recent studies have found it to be a stem-teleost. It somewhat resembles another early teleostomorph, Prohalecites.^[1][3]

References

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Teleostei sensu de Pinna, 1996 (= Teleosteomorpha)

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Subclass: Neopterygii
Actinopterygii see Actinopterygii Neopterygii see Neopterygii Teleostei see below↓

Teleostei
Teleostei †Atacamichthys †Baleiichthys †Barschichthys †Bunoderma †Ceramurus †Dorsetichthys †Elpistoichthys †Eurycormus †Galkinia †Grimmenichthys †Hengnania †Hulettia? †Hungkiichthys †Ichthyokentema †Jialingichthys †Koonwarria †Ligulella †Luxembourgichthys †Majokia †Marcopoloichthys †Neobaleiichthys †Oligopleurus? †Pholidophorichthys †Pholidophoroides †Pholidophoropsis †Prohalecites †Ruedersdorfia †Seefeldia †Seinstedtia †Signeuxella †Pachycormidae Asthenocormus Australopachycormus Bonnerichthys Eugnathides? Euthynotus Germanostomus Haasichthys Hypsocormus Kaykay Leedsichthys Martillichthys Notodectes Ohmdenia Orthocormus Pachycormus Protosphyraena Pseudoasthenocormus Rhinconichthys Sauropsis Saurostomus Simocormus †Aspidorhynchidae Aspidorhynchus Belonostomus Jonoichthys Pseudovinctifer Richmondichthys Vinctifer †Pholidophoridae sensu stricto Annaichthys Ceneichthys Eopholidophorus Knerichthys Lombardichthys Malingichthys Parapholidophorus Pholidoctenus Pholidophoretes Pholidophorus Pholidorhynchodon Pseudopholidoctenus Zambellichthys †Archaeomaenidae Aphnelepis Archaeomaene Gurvanichthys Oreochima Wadeichthys Zaxilepis †Siyuichthyidae Bogdaichthys Dsungarichthys Manasichthys Siyuichthys Wukangia †Pleuropholidae Austropleuropholis Gondwanapleuropholis Parapleuropholis Pleuropholis Zurupleuropholis †Ankylophoridae Ankylophorus Lehmanophorus Neopholidophoropsis Pholidophoristion Siemensichthys Songaichthys Steurbautichthys †Catervariolidae Catervariolus Kisanganichthys Songanella Teleosts with cycloid scales see below↓ Otolith taxa †Archengraulis †Bicavolithus †Doggerichthys †Sphaeronchus †Xenoleptolepis

Teleosts with cycloid scales
Teleosts with cycloid scales †Antofagastaichthys †Araripichthys †Paraclupavus †Pholidolepis †Todiltia †Leptolepidae Leptolepis Longileptolepis Proleptolepis †Luisiellidae Cavenderichthys? Luisiella Waldmanichthys? †Ascalaboidae Ascalabos Ebertichthys Tharsis †Crossognathiformes Bavarichthys Chongichthys Salminops? Varasichthyidae? Bobbichthys Domeykos Luisichthys Protoclupea Varasichthys Notelopidae Bavarichthys? Michin? Notelops Nusaviichthys Crossognathidae Apsopelix Crossognathus Pachyrhizodontidae Apricenapiscis Aquilopiscis Cavinichthys Chongichthys? Elopopsis Goulmimichthys Greenwoodella Kradimus Lebrunichthys Michin? Motlayoichthys Nardopiscis Pachyrhizodus Platinx Polcynichthys Rhacolepis Stanhopeichthys Tingitanichthys †Ichthyodectiformes Africathrissops Allothrissops Altamuraichthys Antarctithrissops Ascalabothrissops? Capassoichthys Carsothrissops Dugaldia Faugichthys Furloichthys Garganoichthys Gillicus Occithrissops Ogunichthys Pachythrissops? Prymnetes Sultanuvaisia Thrissops Verraesichthys Chuhsiungichthyidae Chuhsiungichthys Jinjuichthys Mesoclupea Bardackichthyidae Amakusaichthys? Bardackichthys Heckelichthys? Cladocyclidae Aidachar Chirocentrites Chiromystus Cladocyclus Cladocynodon Eubiodectes Ichthyodectidae Cooyoo Ghrisichthys Ichthyodectes Postredectes Xiphactinus Saurodontidae Gwawinapterus Prosaurodon Saurocephalus Saurodon Unamichthys Vallecillichthys Crown-Teleostei see below↓

Crown-Teleostei
Elopomorpha see Elopomorpha †Orthogonikleithridae Cavenderichthys? Leptolepides Orthogonikleithrus Waldmanichthys? Osteoglossomorpha see Osteoglossomorpha †Tselfatiiformes Eoplethodus Protobramidae Abisaadichthys Eusebichthys Protobrama Plethodidae Bachea Bananogmius Concavotectum Dixonanogmius Enischnorhynchus Luxilites Martinichthys Moorevillia Niobrara Paranogmius Pentanogmius Plethodus Pseudonogmius Pseudothryptodus Rhamphoichthys Syntegmodus Thryptodus Tselfatia Zanclites Clupeocephala Otocephala Euteleostei