Mene rhombea

Mene rhombea; Temporal range: Early Eocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
	Mene rhombea, from Mount Bolca, Verona
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Carangiformes
Family:	Menidae
Genus:	Mene
Species:	†M. rhombea
Binomial name
	†Mene rhombea; (Volta, 1796)
Synonyms
	Scomber rhombeus Volta, 1796; Gasteronemus rhombus;

Mene rhombea is an extinct perciform fish belonging to the family Menidae. During the Middle Eocene (Lutetian epoch), about 48 to 40 mya, these fishes lived in the Tethys Ocean, a large tropical sea in the area corresponding to the current Mediterranean. This ocean was extended between the continents of Gondwana and Laurasia. At this time, where Monte Bolca is today, M. rhombea, and its relative, M. oblonga, lived in a tropical lagoon.

Description

Mene rhombea had a laterally compressed body, very long and slim pelvic fins and a wide triangular tail fin. As suggested by their fossils' small, upturned mouths, and by comparison of its living relative, as Mene maculata, fishes of this species were planktivore. The species shows close affinities with contemporary species inhabiting the coral reef environment of the Indo-Pacific warm seas.