Albula (fish)

Albula is an ancient genus of fish belonging to the family Albulidae.

Members of this genus inhabit warm coastal waters worldwide.

[1] This genus contains many of the species popularly referred to as bonefish, which are vital components of both subsistence fisheries and sport fishing industries worldwide; this, in conjunction with destruction of breeding habitat, has led to population declines in many species.

[3] All species are morphologically indistinguishable from one another and can only be reliably distinguished with genetic evidence, but all of them diverged from one another between 4 and 20 million years ago.

[4][5] The oldest fossils belonging to this genus are from the Late Cretaceous of Alabama and Uzbekistan.