A morid cod (Gadiformes, Moridae) from the early Oligocene deposits of the Czech Republic

An articulated skeleton of a morid cod (Gadiformes, Moridae) is described from the Oligocene Menilitic Formation, exposed in the Kelč-Strážné locality (Moravia; Subsilesian Unit; Western Carpathians). The fossil, preserved in dorsal view, is only partially complete, and lacking most of the postcranial part of the body. It shows a suite of features that clearly separate it from other gadiform taxa frequently found in the Oligocene-Miocene deposits of the region, and suggest its attribution to the family Moridae (mainly due to the general architecture of the skull). Due to the incompleteness of the fossil, it is not possible to define precisely its taxonomic status. However, the possession of two pterotic processes suggests that the fossil documented herein represents a member of the “Pseudophycis Group” (according to Paulin, 1989), related to the genus Lotella Kaup, 1858.