| Eospinus Temporal range: Ypresian |
|
|---|---|
| Artist's reconstruction | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Tetraodontiformes |
| Family: | incertae sedis |
| Genus: | Eospinus |
| Species: | E. daniltshenkoi |
| Binomial name | |
| Eospinus daniltshenkoi Tyler and Bannikov, 1992 |
|
Eospinus daniltshenkoi is an extinct tetraodontid bony fish from the Eocene. Its fossils are from the Danata Formation lagerstatten of Ypresian Turkmenistan.
E. daniltshenkoi had four dorsal spines, three of which were on the anterior end of its dorsal side, and the first spine being placed between and below the eyes, almost like a long nose. It also had a pair of spines near the base of its caudal peduncle, and a spine in front of the anal fin.
Because this species possesses features of boxfish, triggerfish, and the extinct Spinacanthidae, E. daniltshenkoi can not yet be placed in a family, and is considered to be the sister taxon of triggerfish and the spinacanthids, the latter of which it bears a powerful resemblance to.