Osteology and relationships of Kisanganichthys casieri gen

The osteology of Kisanganichthys casieri gen. and sp. nov., a small catervariolid fish from the Stanleyville Formation (Middle Jurassic), Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo, is studied in details. K. casieri gen. and sp. nov. has a pair of small triangular toothed lateral dermethmoids located at the symphysis op the upper jaw, the toothed premaxillae being more laterally positioned. The frontals have a broad anterior extremity that is sutured with the dermethmoid (= rostral). There is only one supramaxilla. The nasals are separated from each other by the dermethmoid and from the orbit by the antorbital. There are two supraorbitals and two large postorbitals (= suborbitals). The preopercle is crescent-like but with a very short dorsal part. The subopercle is much larger than the opercle. Within Catervariolidae, K. casieri gen. and sp. nov. seems more closely allied to Songanella callida than to Catervariolus hornemani. The systematic relationships of Catervariolidae in the “pholidophoriform” lineages are re-discussed and a basal position is confirmed.