Neotype designation for Eurysomus soloduchi Minich, 1992 and evidence of durophagy in the East European Platysomidae (Actinopterygii, Bobasatraniiformes)

Eurysomus soloduchi Minich, 1992 is a deep-bodied actinopterygian from the Middle Permian (Roadian) of European Russia, described by D. N. Esin. Unfortunately, the type specimen is lost. We nominate a second known skeleton of E. soloduchi from the type locality as a neotype of this species. Some features not previously identified in the species are described, and the dentition is described in detail for the first time. The morphology of E. soloduchi indicates a intermediate phylogenetic placement among species of paraphyletic genus Platysomus Agassiz, 1833 because it has features of both ‘Platysomidae’ Young, 1866 (P. superbus Traquair, 1881, P. parvulus Williamson, 1849, P. striatus Agassiz, 1833) and ‘Bobasatraniidae’ Stensiö, 1932 (P. gibbosus (Blainville, 1818), P. biarmicus Eichwald, 1857, P. swaffordae Mickle & Bader, 2009, P. schultzei Zidek, 1992). The lower jaw is deep and bears molariform teeth with apical cusps. All teeth have traces of in-vivo wear. The jaw anatomy and dentition indicates that E. soloduchi was adapted to a durophagous feeding habit, but we assume that it was a generalist feeder that could consume hard prey.