封面说明:中华金龙鱼(Scleropages sinensis sp. nov.)复原图。产于湖北松滋和湖南湘乡早始新世地层中的中华金龙鱼是金龙鱼化石的首次发现。金龙鱼属于骨舌鱼科,现生的金龙鱼(Scleropages)见于东南亚和澳大利亚的淡水水域中。淡水鱼类的跨洋分布,是动物地理学的难题之一。中华金龙鱼的发现,说明金龙鱼和骨舌鱼科其他属在早始新世就已经分化,这对解释骨舌鱼科的跨洋分布具有重要意义。现生的金龙鱼生活于各种河流和小溪中,比较喜欢水草茂盛的静水环境,以鱼虾、昆虫为食,它们往往会跃出水面进行捕食。新种中华金龙鱼也应该有相似的生长环境和食性。详见本期张江永、WILSON文(p. 1)。(绘图:许勇)
Cover image: The reconstruction of Scleropages sinensis sp. nov. The new species of Scleropages from the Early Eocene of Hunan and Hubei, China is the first complete fossil of the genus. The extant Scleropages, a genus of Osteoglossidae, is a freshwater fish with a transoceanic distribution in Southeast Asia and Australia. The discovery of S. sinensis sp. nov. dates the divergence of Scleropages and the other genus of the family no later than the Early Eocene. The extant Scleropages inhabits natural lakes and slowly moving, deep parts of rivers with overhanging vegetative cover. It is a carnivorous fish and its food consists mainly of insects, fishes, and worms. It can jump very high in the wild to get food. S. sinensis sp. nov. may live in the same natural environment and have a similar diet.See details in the paper of Zhang and Wilson (p. 1). (Illustrated by Xu Yong)