| Halecopsis Temporal range:
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|---|---|
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| Specimen of H. insignis from Belgium | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Gonorynchiformes |
| Family: | †Halecopsidae Casier, 1946 |
| Genus: | †Halecopsis Woodward, 1901 |
| Species: | †H. insignis
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| Binomial name | |
| †Halecopsis insignis (Delvaux & Ortlieb, 1887)
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| Synonyms | |
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Halecopsis is an extinct genus of prehistoric marine gonorynchiform ray-finned fish that lived during the Early Eocene of Europe.12 It contains a single species, H. insignis, from England (London Clay)3, Belgium (Argile des Flandres), Germany (Hemmoor Clay), and northern France.45 It is the only member of the family Halecopsidae.56
Initially classified in the genus Osmeroides, later studies found it to be a late-surviving member of an early-diverging gonorynchoid lineage, having diverged after Chanidae and the extinct Apulichthyidae, but prior to the other three extant families in the order. This divergence is estimated to have occurred in the Early Cretaceous.57 The extinct Neohalecopsis from the Oligocene was also previously placed in this family, but later studies suggest it may be a chanid.5
Halecopsis was a small, shoaling fish that is one of the most abundant fossil fish at certain London Clay localities.89 The genus name Halecopsis was originally coined by Louis Agassiz for specimens of this genus, but remained a nomen nudum for decades until it was officially used by Woodward to reclassify Osmeroides insignis into its own genus.4
References
References
- Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
- "Halecopsis insignis (Delvaux & Ortlieb, 1887) — RBINS Virtual Collections". virtualcollections.naturalsciences.be. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- Friedman, Matt; Beckett, Hermione T.; Close, Roger A.; Johanson, Zerina (2016). "The English Chalk and London Clay: two remarkable British bony fish Lagerstätten". Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 430 (1): 165–200. Bibcode:2016GSLSP.430..165F. doi:10.1144/SP430.18.
- Woodward (1889). Catalogue of the Fossil Fishes in the British Museum (Natural History). British Museum (Natural History).
- Poyato-Ariza, Francisco José; Grande, Terry; Diogo, Rui (2010-01-01), Grande, Terry; Poyato-Ariza, Francisco José; Diogo, Rui (eds.), "Gonorynchiform Interrelationships: Historic Overview, Analysis, and Revised Systematics of the Group", Gonorynchiformes and Ostariophysan Relationships (1 ed.), CRC Press, pp. 227–337, doi:10.1201/b10194-7, ISBN 978-0-429-06156-1, retrieved 2026-04-21
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link) - Laan, Richard van der (2018-10-11). "Family-group names of fossil fishes". European Journal of Taxonomy (466). doi:10.5852/ejt.2018.466. ISSN 2118-9773.
- Taverne, Louis; Gayet, Mireille (2006). "Nouvelle description d'†Halecopsis insignis de l'Éocène marin de l'Europe et les relations de ce taxon avec les Gonorynchiformes (Teleostei, Ostariophysi)". Cybium. 30 (2): 109–114. doi:10.26028/CYBIUM/2006-302-002 (inactive 22 April 2026).
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of April 2026 (link) - "Halecopsis insignis – London Clay Fossils". Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- "Distribution and Frequency Guide – London Clay Fossils". Retrieved 2026-04-21.