Tiny topminnow, Fundulus, compared to larger goosefish, Lophius
Following the earlier experiment
in relabeling skull bones in the other bony fish clade (that did not result in tetrapods), the topminnow, Fundulus (Fig 1), is here compared to to the much larger sit-and-wait angler = goosefish = monkfish, Lophius (Fig 2).
Figure 1. Fundulus skull in two views. DGS colors added here.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/fundulus.skull588.jpg?w=250″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/fundulus.skull588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-93250″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/fundulus.skull588.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. Fundulus skull in two views. DGS colors added here. ” width=”584″ height=”700″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/fundulus.skull588.jpg?w=584&h=700 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/fundulus.skull588.jpg?w=125&h=150 125w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/fundulus.skull588.jpg?w=250&h=300 250w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/fundulus.skull588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 1. Fundulus skull in two views. DGS colors added here.
Fundulus is currently basal to
the blind cave fish clade. Lophius is a derived taxon related to frogfish, deepsea anglers, mudskippers and the primitive stock of gobies that more closely resemble Fundulus in the large reptile tree (LRT, 2338 taxa).
Figure 2. Here the skull of Fundulus is compared to the larger angler, Lophius with DGS colors following those of Clarias, the walking catfish, and Hoplerythrinus, the trahira.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/lophius.lateral.dorsal588.jpg?w=237″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/lophius.lateral.dorsal588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-93251″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/lophius.lateral.dorsal588.jpg” alt=”Figure 2. Here the skull of Fundulus is compared to the larger angler, Lophius with DGS colors following those of Clarias, the walking catfish, and Hoplerythrinus, the trahira.” width=”584″ height=”738″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/lophius.lateral.dorsal588.jpg?w=584&h=738 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/lophius.lateral.dorsal588.jpg?w=119&h=150 119w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/lophius.lateral.dorsal588.jpg?w=237&h=300 237w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/lophius.lateral.dorsal588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 2. Here the skull of Fundulus is compared to the larger angler, Lophius with DGS colors following those of Clarias, the walking catfish, and Hoplerythrinus, the trahira.
Housekeeeping continues
as a long list of taxa must undergo this bone identity switch experiment that appears to be ‘paying off’ by identifying previously hard-to-understand structures.
References
Lacepéde BG 1803. Histoire naturelle des poissons. Tome Cinquieme. 5(1-21):1-803 + index.|
Linnaeus C 1758. Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata.
Rafinesque CS 1810. Caratteri di alcuni nuovi generi e nuove specie di animali e piante della sicilia, con varie osservazioni sopra i medisimi. Per le stampe di Sanfilippo: Palermo, Italy. pp. 105, 20 fold. Pl., online
Reinhardt CH 1837. Ichthyologiske bidrag til den Grönlandske fauna. Indledning, indeholdende tillaeg og forandringer i den fabriciske fortegnelse paa Grönlandske hvirveldyr. K. Danske Vidensk. Selsk. Naturvid. Math. Afhandl. 7: 83-196.
wiki/Goosefish
wiki/Lophius
wiki/Lophius_americanus
wiki/Killifish – Fundulus
Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2025/06/16/tiny-topminnow-fundulus-compared-to-larger-goosefish-lophius/