Mene

The moonfish of the genus Mene, the sole extant genus of the family Menidae, are disk-shaped fish which bear a vague resemblance to gourami, thanks to their thread-like pelvic fins. Today, the genus is represented only by Mene maculata of the Indo-Pacific, where it is a popular food fish, especially in the Philippines, where it is known as bilong-bilong, chabita, hiwas or tahas.

Taxonomy

Anatomical and recent molecular studies strongly suggest a relationship with the pomfrets, dolphinfishes, remoras and the jacks in the order Carangiformes.

Fossil record

As a genus, Mene has a long fossil history, with species found in marine sediments throughout the Cenozoic Era. The earliest accepted species, M. purdyi from the Paleocene of Peru, resemble later species, such as M. rhombea of the Monte Bolca lagerstätte, and even the living species, M. maculata. Experts remain undecided whether the Tunisian species, M. phosphatica is from the Lower Paleocene, thus making it older than M. purdyi, or whether it is from the Ypresian epoch of the Eocene. Almost all of the species are known primarily from the Paleogene; the Neogene record is rather sparse, if not totally nonexistent, with some otoliths found in Miocene strata, and no whole or even partial specimens known from Pliocene or Pleistocene strata.

The first species of the genus to be described was not the extant M. maculata, but rather the extinct fossil species Mene rhombea; however, M. rhombea was not initially classified in Mene, with the genus name being coined for the extant species.

• Restoration comparing †Mene rhombea and †Mene oblonga
  Restoration comparing †Mene rhombea and †Mene oblonga
• †Mene oblonga
  †Mene oblonga
• †Mene rhombea, from Monte Bolca
  †Mene rhombea, from Monte Bolca
• †Mene sp, from Fur Formation, Denmark
  †Mene sp, from Fur Formation, Denmark
• †Mene oblonga from Monte Bolca
  †Mene oblonga from Monte Bolca

Timeline

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from: -65.5   till:  -55.8    color:paleocene  text:Paleocene
from: -55.8   till:  -33.9    color:eocene  text:Eocene 
from: -33.9   till:  -23.03    color:oligocene  text:Oligocene            
from: -23.03    till: -5.332    color:miocene    text:Miocene
from: -5.332    till: -2.588    color:pliocene    text:Plio.
from: -2.588    till: -0.0117   color:pleistocene    text:Pleist.
from: -0.0117    till: 0    color:holocene    text:H.

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from: -65.5   till:  -23.03    color:paleogene  text:Paleogene         
from: -23.03    till: -2.588    color:neogene    text:Neogene
from: -2.588    till: 0   color:quaternary    text:Q.

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from: -65.5   till:  -55.8    color:paleocene  text:Paleocene
from: -55.8   till:  -33.9    color:eocene  text:Eocene 
from: -33.9   till:  -23.03    color:oligocene  text:Oligocene            
from: -23.03    till: -5.332    color:miocene    text:Miocene
from: -5.332    till: -2.588    color:pliocene    text:Plio.
from: -2.588    till: -0.0117   color:pleistocene    text:Pleist.
from: -0.0117    till: 0    color:holocene    text:H.

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from: -65.5   till:  -23.03    color:paleogene  text:Paleogene         
from: -23.03    till: -2.588    color:neogene    text:Neogene
from: -2.588    till: 0   color:quaternary    text:Q.

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External links

• "A new species of Mene (Perciformes: Menidae) from the Paleocene of South America, with notes on paleoenvironment and a brief review of menid fishes."