Description de restes squelettiques de Latidae: Lates (?) sp. (Poissons teleosteens, Percoidei) du Miocène inférieur et moyen du bassin du Bas Tage (environs de Lisbonne, Portugal)

Abstract

Key-words: Lates (?) sp.; Lower and Middle Miocene; Palaeoecology; Palaeobiogeography; Lower Tagus Basin; Lisbon; Portugal. Several Lower and Middle Miocene localities in the Lower Tagus basin near Lisbon yielded Latidae fragmentary remnants. No really decisive character has been recognized that would allow us to state these remnants could surely be ascribed to the genus Lates Cuv. & Val., although we regard this as nearly certain. There are some differences between the Miocene latidae under study and the type species Lates niloticus L. this suggests us to report the concerned remnants to a Lates (?) sp. that could belong to a new, hitherto undescribed species. The occurrence of Lates in fluviatile or lagoonal beds in the Lower Tagus basin Miocene series is not at all surprising under a paleoecological viewpoint. Even less if account is taken of the presence in the same levels of Siluriforms remnants belonging to Bagridae and Ariidae, two families that are well represented in Africa. Bagrid spines have been found at Quinta das Pedreiras in association with Lates (?) sp. remnants.