Spathiurus

Spathiurus is an extinct genus of ray-finned fish that lived during the Cenomanian in the Sannine Formation of Lebanon.

Description

Spathiurus was designated as a member of the family Ionoscopidae in 2020, as it shows the diagnostic features of the group, making it the first member of the family to be known from the late Cretaceous as well as the Middle East. It is believed to be a sister taxon to Ionoscopus ''petrarojae, the both are more derived than 'Ionoscopus' cyprinoides, which probably belongs in a different distinct genus. The species Amphilaphurus major is currently believed synonymous with Spathiurus dorsalis''.