Ptycholepiformes

Ptycholepiformes are an extinct order of prehistoric ray-finned fish that existed during the Triassic period and the Early Jurassic epoch. The order includes the genera Acrorhabdus, Ardoreosomus, Boreosomus, Chungkingichthys, Ptycholepis, and Yuchoulepis. Although several families have been proposed, some studies place all these genera in the same family, Ptycholepididae.

Ptycholepiformes had a widespread distribution during the Early Triassic, but were restricted to mainly Europe and North America afterwards. They are known from both marine and freshwater deposits.

Appearance

Typical features of ptycholepiforms are the fusiform body covered in rhombic ganoid scales, the anterior position of the dorsal fin. In most coeval ray-fins the dorsal fin has a more posterior position), usually situated opposite to the anal fin. Moreover, ptycholepiforms show a series of elongate, horizontal suborbital bones. The skull is usually relatively large.

The scales are typically equipped with distinct longitudinal ridges. In Ptycholepis, the scales are low, whereas in genera, such as Ardoreosomus and Boreosomus, the scales are deeper. Peg-and-socket articulation between scales is present.

Species reached body sizes between and .

Systematics

The evolutionary relationships of Ptycholepiformes are poorly known, but most cladistic analyses place them outside of the Neopterygii. A close relationship between Ptycholepididae and the Carboniferous to Early Triassic Acrolepididae was proposed based on some similarities, but support from phylogenetic analyses is scarce.

• Order †Ptycholepidiformes <small>Andrews et al. 1967</small>
• Family incertae sedis
• Genus †Ardoreosomus <small>Romano et al., 2019</small>
• †Ardoreosomus occidentalis <small>Romano et al., 2019</small> (type species)
• Family †Boreosomidae <small>Gardiner 1967</small>
• Genus †Acrorhabdus <small>Stensiö,1921</small>
• †Acrorhabdus asplundi <small>Stensiö, 1921</small>
• †Acrorhabdus bertili <small>Stensiö, 1921</small> (type species)
• †Acrorhabdus latistriatus <small>Stensiö, 1921</small>
• Genus †Boreosomus <small>Stensiö 1921</small> [Diaphorognathus <small>Brough 1933</small>]
• †Boreosomus arcticus <small>(Woodward, 1912)</small> [Acrolepis arctica <small>Woodward 1912</small>] (type species)
• †Boreosomus gillioti <small>(Priem, 1924)</small> [Diaphorognathus gillioti <small>(Priem 1924)</small>; Gyrolepis gillioti <small>Priem 1924</small>]
• †Boreosomus merlei <small>Beltan, 1957</small>
• †Boreosomus piveteaui <small>Stensiö, 1921</small>
• †Boreosomus reuterskioeldi <small>Stensiö, 1921</small>
• †Boreosomus scaber <small>Stensiö, 1921</small>
• Family †Chungkingichthyidae <small>Su 1974</small>
• Genus †Chungkingichthys <small>Su, 1974</small>
• †Chungkingichthys tachuensis <small>Su, 1974</small> (type species)
• Family †Ptycholepididae <small>Brough, 1939 corrig.</small>
• Genus †Ptycholepis <small>Agassiz, 1832 non Gray 1842 ex Richardson, 1843</small>
• †Ptycholepis barboi <small>Bassani, 1886</small>
• †Ptycholepis bollensis <small>Agassiz, 1833</small> (type species)
• †Ptycholepis calloviensis <small>Kaznyshkin, 1990</small>
• †Ptycholepis curta <small>Egerton, 1854</small>
• †Ptycholepis gracilis <small>Davis, 1884</small>
• †Ptycholepis magna <small>Bürgin, 1992</small>
• †Ptycholepis marshii <small>Newberry, 1878</small>
• †Ptycholepis monilifer <small>Woodward, 1895</small>
• †Ptycholepis prisca <small>Bürgin, 1992</small>
• †Ptycholepis schaefferi <small>Bürgin, 1992</small>
• Genus †Yuchoulepis <small>Su, 1974</small>
• †Yuchoulepis gansuensis <small>Su, 1993</small>
• †Yuchoulepis szechuanensis <small>Su, 1974</small> (type species)

Timeline of genera

References