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Echidnocephalus Temporal range: Late Campanian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Possible Coniacian and Maastrichtian occurrence
Fossil of Echidnocephalus troscheli
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Notacanthiformes
Family:	Halosauridae
Genus:	†Echidnocephalus von der Marck, 1858
Type species
†Echidnocephalus troscheli von der Marck, 1858
Species
†E. troscheli von der Marck, 1858 ?†E. americanus Cockerell, 1919 ?†E. pacificus Cockerell, 1919

Echidnocephalus (Greek for "Echidna's head") is an extinct genus of prehistoric halosaur known from the Late Cretaceous. It is the earliest known definitive member of the order Notacanthiformes.

It contains one definitive species known from complete and partial specimens: E. troscheli (=E. tenuicaudus von der Marck, 1858) from the late Campanian-aged Ahlen Formation of Westphalia, Germany. These body fossils suggest an animal already very similar to modern halosaurs.

In addition, two disputed species known only from isolated fossil scales very similar to those of modern halosaurs have been described from North America: ?E. americanus Cockerell, 1919 from the Coniacian-aged Mancos Shale of Wyoming and ?E. pacificus Cockerell, 1919 from the Maastrichtian-aged Moreno Formation of California.

See also

• Laytonia, a Miocene genus of fossil halosaur
• Prehistoric fish
• List of prehistoric bony fish

References

1. Behrensmeyer, A.K.; Turner, A. (2013). "†Echidnocephalus". PalaeoDB. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
2. ^ Near, Thomas J.; Thacker, Christine E. (2024-04-18). "Phylogenetic Classification of Living and Fossil Ray-Finned Fishes (Actinopterygii)". Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History. 65 (1). doi:10.3374/014.065.0101. ISSN 0079-032X.
3. Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
4. Professional Paper. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1919.
5. "PBDB Taxon". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2024-12-16.

v t e Elopomorph genera
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Subclass: Neopterygii Infraclass: Teleostei Actinopterygii see Actinopterygii Neopterygii see Neopterygii Teleostei see Teleostei Elopomorpha see below↓ Elopomorpha
Elopiformes †Anaethalion †Aulothrissus †Daitingichthys †Davichthys †Echinelops †Eichstaettia †Elopsomolos †Eoprotelops †Epaelops †Flindersichthys †Ichthyemidion †Leptoelops †Naiathaelon †Protelops †Phyllodontidae Egertonia Eodiaphyodus Paralbula Phyllodus Pseudoegertonia Elopidae †Ctenodentelops Elops †Kipalelops †Lyrolepis †Protoelops Megalopidae †Arratiaelops †Brouweria †Elopoides Megalops †Paratarpon †Promegalops †Protarpon †Sedenhorstia Albuliformes †Baugeichthys †Brannerion †Bullichthys †Euroka †Farinichthys †Holcolepis †Lebonichthys †Marathonichthys †Osmeroides †Palealbula †Paraelops †Protalbula †Stewartichthys Albulidae Albula †Casierius †Deltaichthys †Elopothrissus †Hajulia †Istieus †Italoalbula Nemoossis †Nunaneichthys †Phosphonatator †Pteralbula Pterothrissus Notacanthiformes Notacanthidae Lipogenys Notacanthus Polyacanthonotus Halosauridae Aldrovandia †Echidnocephalus Halosauropsis Halosaurus †Laytonia Anguilliformes see Eels
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• Halosauridae
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• Fossil taxa described in 1858