On †Protorhamphosus parvulus Daniltshenko, 1968 (Teleostei, Syngnathoidei)

†Protorhamphosus parvulus Daniltshenko, 1968 is a poorly known fish described based on a few scarcely preserved articulated skeletal remains from the basal Eocene deposits of the Danata Formation, Kopet-Dag foothills, southwestern Turkmenistan. Despite its peculiar morphology, †Protorhamphosus Daniltshenko, 1968 has been traditionally aligned with the snipefish family Macroramphosidae. However, the relationships of this fish have never been properly discussed and its relevance for the understanding of the syngnathiform fishes remains elusive. Herein a new description of †Protorhamphosus parvulus is provided. The syngnathoid affinities of †Protorhamphosus are confirmed, but the attribution to the Macroramphosidae is questioned. Unfortunately, due to the inadequate preservation of the available material it is not possible to determine the phylogenetic position of this Eocene fish within the syngnathoids.