Notes on the anatomy of Ranzania truncata : a plectognath fish. American Museum novitates ; no. 1038

Abstract

"Ranzania represents the most specialized of the all the molids in body-form and ... in musculature. The elongation of the body, as compared with other molids, is undoubtedly secondary. The persistence of the inclinator muscles of the dorsal and anal fins is the sole primitive feature noted. The former presence of the puffing apparatus is indicated by the retention of the m. retractor postclavicularis, which originated as a slip of the m. inclinator analis in some early balistoid. The most remarkable feature of the skeleton is the caudal inclination of the haemal and neural spines, indicating the posterior displacement of the dorsal and anal fins. This, in conjunction with the great development of the dorsal and anal fin musculature and the narrow high fins, suggests that Ranzania, contrary to earlier opinions, is a fast-swimming form"--p. 7.