Schiethoogte 279 (Carboniferous of South Africa)

Also known as Schiet Hoogte farm; Suurberg Gorge; Lake Mentz

Where: Eastern Cape, South Africa (33.2° S, 25.1° E: paleocoordinates 81.8° S, 163.7° W)

When: Waaiport Formation (Witteberg Group), Tournaisian (358.9 - 346.7 Ma)

• "miospores including S. balteatus and S. pretiosus were interpreted to be no older than mid-Tournaisian." (Lakin et al 2016)

•Unconformably overlain by Dwyka formation

Environment/lithology: lacustrine - large; lithified, fine-grained, nodular, black, carbonaceous mudstone and lithified, sandy marl

• "although the subsequent Upper Witteberg Shales appear to be lacustrine some influx of brackish (or even esturine) waters possibly occurred from time to time"
• "The nodules are found scattered in a zone 30 feet thick and consist of a black, fine grained, carbonaceous mudstone somewhat flinty in character" (Gardiner 1969)

•"The fish are confined to a narrow band of sandy marl of about five inches in thickness" (Gardiner 1969)

Size class: macrofossils

Preservation: concretion

Primary reference: B. G. Gardiner. 1969. New palaeoniscoid fish from the Witteberg series of South Africa. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 48(4):423-452 [E. Dunne/S. Fasey]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 226927: authorized by Emma Dunne, entered by Sophie Fasey on 10.08.2022

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names
Osteichthyes
 Rhadinichthyiformes - Willomorichthyidae
Glenconnorichthys jamesi n. gen. n. sp., Catastropheichthys almondi n. gen. n. sp., Darlingtonichthys raumi n. gen. n. sp., Willomorichthys striatulus
Glenconnorichthys jamesi n. gen. n. sp. Evans 2005 ray-finned fish
? Holotype: SAM 13553 (recorded as being from Soetendalsvlei, but “definitely” from this locality per Evans et al. 2005)
Catastropheichthys almondi n. gen. n. sp. Evans 2005 ray-finned fish
Holotype: AM 4596 B
Darlingtonichthys raumi n. gen. n. sp. Evans 2005 ray-finned fish
Holotype: PRV 635
Willomorichthys striatulus Gardiner 1969 ray-finned fish
  -
Australichthys longidorsalis n. gen. n. sp.
Australichthys longidorsalis n. gen. n. sp. Gardiner 1969
Holotype: Holotype PRV 639a (Marais species B, pl. 4a)
 Palaeonisciformes - Rhadinichthyidae
Mentzichthys walshi n. gen. n. sp., Mentzichthys jubbi n. sp., Mentzichthys theroni, Mentzichthys maraisi n. sp.
Mentzichthys walshi n. gen. n. sp. Jubb 1965
Mentzichthys jubbi n. sp. Gardiner 1969
Holotype PRV 640; PRV633 (Marais species A, plates 3a-d)
Mentzichthys theroni Gardiner 1969
? Holotype: SAM 13570 (Evans 2005 suspects the holotype is from this locality, not Soetendalsvlei)
Mentzichthys maraisi n. sp. Gardiner 1969
Holotype PRV 631; PRV 638 (specimen without skull), PRV 632
 Palaeonisciformes - Canobiidae
Sundayichthys elegantulus n. gen. n. sp.
Sundayichthys elegantulus n. gen. n. sp. Gardiner 1969
Marais species A, pl. 2d
 Palaeonisciformes - Platysomidae
Aestuarichthys fulcratus