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Marcopoloichthys Temporal range: Middle Triassic–Late Triassic PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Specimens of M. furreri
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Infraclass:	Teleosteomorpha
Family:	†Marcopoloichthyidae Tintori et al, 2007
Genus:	†Marcopoloichthys Tintori, Sun, Lombardo, Jiang, Sun, Rusconi & Hao, 2007
Species
M. ani Tintori et al, 2007 M. andreetti Tintori et al, 2007 M. faccii (Gortani, 1907) M. furreri Arratia, 2022 M. mirigioliensis Arratia et al, 2024

Marcopoloichthys is an extinct genus of marine teleosteomorph ray-finned fish known from the Middle and Late Triassic of the former Tethys Ocean (Italy, Switzerland, and China). It is the only genus in the family Marcopoloichthyidae. It was originally described based on specimens from both Italy and China, hence the name Marcopoloichthys, which references the medieval Venetian merchant Marco Polo, who traveled from Italy to China.

Five species are known:

• M. ani Tintori et al., 2007 – Anisian of Yunnan, China. (type species)
• M. andreetti Tintori et al., 2007 – Ladinian of Lombardy, Italy.
• M. faccii (Gortani, 1907) – Carnian of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy (initially described as Pholidophorus faccii)
• M. furreri Arratia, 2022 – Ladinian of Grisons, Switzerland
• M. mirigioliensis Arratia et al., 2024 – late Anisian of the Besano Formation (Monte San Giorgio, Ticino, Switzerland)

The youngest Marcopoloichthys fossils are of an undescribed species from the Norian of Friuli, Italy.

Marcopoloichthys was a small, scaleless fish with highly specialized, protractile jaws for suction feeding, and a combination of primitive and advanced morphological characters that make it difficult to phylogenetically place. Initially described as an indeterminate basal neopterygian, more recent studies have found it to be a stem-teleost. It somewhat resembles another early teleostomorph, Prohalecites.

References

1. ^ Tintori, Andrea; Sun, Zuo-Yu; Lombardo, Cristina; Jiang, Da-Yong; Sun, Yuan-Lin; Rusconi, Marco; Hao, Wei-cheng (2007). "NEW SPECIALIZED BASAL NEOPTERYGIANS (ACTINOPTERYGII) FROM TRIASSIC OF THE TETHYS REALM". Geol. Insubr. 10 (2) – via ResearchGate.
2. "PBDB". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
3. ^ Arratia, Gloria (2022-05-07). "The outstanding suction-feeder Marcopoloichthys furreri new species (Actinopterygii) from the Middle Triassic Tethys Realm of Europe and its implications for early evolution of neopterygian fishes". Fossil Record. 25 (2): 231–261. doi:10.3897/fr.25.85621. ISSN 2193-0074.
4. Arratia, Gloria; Bürgin, Toni; Furrer, Heinz (2024-06-14). "A new suction feeder and miniature teleosteomorph, Marcopoloichthys mirigioliensis, from the lower Besano Formation (late Anisian) of Monte San Giorgio". Swiss Journal of Palaeontology. 143 (1): 25. Bibcode:2024SwJP..143...25A. doi:10.1186/s13358-024-00318-5. ISSN 1664-2384.

v t e Teleostei sensu de Pinna, 1996 (= Teleosteomorpha)
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Subclass: Neopterygii Actinopterygii see Actinopterygii Neopterygii see Neopterygii Teleostei see below↓
Teleostei Teleostei †Atacamichthys †Baleiichthys †Barschichthys †Bunoderma †Ceramurus †Diplospondichthys? †Dorsetichthys †Elpistoichthys †Eurycormus †Galkinia †Grimmenichthys †Hengnania †Hulettia? †Hungkiichthys †Ichthyokentema †Jialingichthys †Ligulella †Luxembourgichthys †Majokia †Marcopoloichthys †Neobaleiichthys †Oligopleurus? †Pholidophorichthys †Pholidophoroides †Pholidophoropsis †Prohalecites †Ruedersdorfia †Seefeldia †Seinstedtia †Signeuxella †Pachycormidae Eugnathides? Euthynotus Haasichthys Notodectes Pseudoasthenocormus Sauropsis Hypsocorminae Australopachycormus Hypsocormus Kaykay Orthocormus Protosphyraena Simocormus Asthenocorminae Asthenocormus Bonnerichthys Germanostomus Leedsichthys Martillichthys Ohmdenia Pachycormus? Rhinconichthys Saurostomus †Aspidorhynchidae Aspidorhynchus Belonostomus Jonoichthys Pseudovinctifer Richmondichthys Vinctifer †Pholidophoridae sensu stricto Annaichthys Ceneichthys Eopholidophorus Knerichthys Lombardichthys Malingichthys Parapholidophorus Pholidoctenus Pholidophoretes Pholidophorus Pholidorhynchodon Pseudopholidoctenus Zambellichthys †Archaeomaenidae Aphnelepis Archaeomaene Gurvanichthys Oreochima Wadeichthys Zaxilepis †Siyuichthyidae Bogdaichthys Dsungarichthys Manasichthys Siyuichthys Wukangia †Pleuropholidae Austropleuropholis Gondwanapleuropholis Parapleuropholis Pleuropholis Zurupleuropholis †Ankylophoridae Ankylophorus Lehmanophorus Neopholidophoropsis Pholidophoristion Siemensichthys Songaichthys Steurbautichthys †Catervariolidae Catervariolus Kisanganichthys Songanella Cycloid clade †Antofagastaichthys †Araripichthys †Cavenderichthys †Koonwarria? †Luisiella †Paraclupavus †Pholidolepis? †Todiltia †Waldmanichthys †Leptolepididae Leptolepis Longileptolepis Proleptolepis †Ascalaboidae Ascalabos Ebertichthys Tharsis †Crossognathiformes see Crossognathiformes †Ichthyodectiformes see Ichthyodectiformes Crown-Teleostei see below↓
Crown-Teleostei Elopomorpha see Elopomorpha †Orthogonikleithridae Cavenderichthys? Leptolepides Orthogonikleithrus Waldmanichthys? Osteoglossomorpha see Osteoglossomorpha †Tselfatiiformes Eoplethodus Protobramidae Abisaadichthys Eusebichthys Protobrama Plethodidae Bachea Bananogmius Concavotectum Dixonanogmius Enischnorhynchus Luxilites Martinichthys Moorevillia Niobrara Paranogmius Pentanogmius Plethodus Pseudonogmius Pseudothryptodus Rhamphoichthys Syntegmodus Thryptodus Tselfatia Zanclites Clupeocephala Otocephala Euteleostei

• Prehistoric neopterygii
• Prehistoric ray-finned fish genera
• Triassic fish of Europe
• Triassic fish of Asia
• Fossils of China
• Fossils of Italy
• Fossils of Switzerland
• Marco Polo
• Fossil taxa described in 2007