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Acrolepididae

Acrolepididae is an extinct family of ray-finned fish. Genera referred to Acrolepididae existed from the Early Carboniferous period to the Early Triassic epoch. They were nektonic carnivores with a fusiform body.

Last revised
Jul 19, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
249 w
Citations
2
Source
Acrolepididae
Temporal range:
Acropholis stensioei fossil
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Elonichthyiformes
Family: Acrolepididae
Aldinger, 1937
Genera
Synonyms
  • Acrolepidae Aldinger 1937

Acrolepididae is an extinct family of ray-finned fish.1 Genera referred to Acrolepididae existed from the Early Carboniferous period to the Early Triassic epoch. They were nektonic carnivores with a fusiform body.

Acrolepididae may be closely related with the Early Mesozoic Ptycholepididae.2

Fossil of Acrolepis sedgwicki source ↗

Included genera and species

  • Genus Acrolepis Agassiz, 1843
    • Acrolepis frequens Yankevich, 1996
    • Acrolepis gigas Frič, 1877
    • Acrolepis hamiltoni Johnston & Morton, 1890
    • Acrolepis hopkinsi M'Coy, 1848
    • Acrolepis hortonensis Dawson, 1868
    • Acrolepis? laetus Lambe, 1916 [Pteronisculus? laetus]
    • Acrolepis languescens Yankevich, 1996
    • Acrolepis ortholepis Traquair, 1884
    • Acrolepis sedgwicki Agassiz, 1843 (type species)
    • Acrolepis semigranulosa Traquair, 1890
    • Acrolepis tasmanicus Johnston & Morton, 1891
    • Acrolepis wilsoni Traquair, 1888
  • Genus Acropholis Aldinger, 1937
  • Genus Challaia Rusconi, 1946
  • Genus Namaichthys Gürich, 1923
  • Genus Plegmolepis Aldinger, 1937
    • Plegmolepis groenlandica Aldinger, 1937
    • Plegmolepis kochi Aldinger, 1937 (type species)
  • Genus Reticulolepis Westoll, 1934
    • Reticulolepis exsculpta (Kurtze, 1839)
References

References

  1. "Acrolepidae". Paleobiology Database. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
  2. Mutter, Raoul (2011). "A case study of the palaeobiogeography of Early Mesozoic actinopterygians, the family Ptycholepidae.". In Upchurch, P.; McGowan, A.J.; Slater, C.S.C. (eds.). Palaeogeography and Palaeobiogeography: Biodiversity in Space and Time. CRC Press, Boca Raton. pp. 143–171. doi:10.1201/b11176-12. ISBN 9780429150562.