Enchelyolepis

Enchelyolepis Temporal range: Tithonian–Berriasian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Specimen of E. andrewsi
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Clade:	Ginglymodi
Order:	†Semionotiformes
Family:	†Macrosemiidae
Genus:	†Enchelyolepis Woodward, 1918
Type species
†Macrosemius andrewsi Woodward, 1895
Species
†E. andrewsi (Woodward, 1895) †E. pectoralis (Sauvage, 1883)

Enchelyolepis (meaning "eel-like scale") is an extinct genus of prehistoric marine ray-finned fish known from the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous of Europe.[1][2] It was a member of the Macrosemiidae, a family of ginglymodians distantly related to modern gars, and contains two species that were both previously described as species of Macrosemius.[3]

The following species are known:[4]

• †E. andrewsi (Woodward, 1895) (type species) - Early Cretaceous (Berriasian) of England (middle Purbeck Group)[5]
• †E. pectoralis (Sauvage, 1883) - Late Jurassic (Tithonian) of France (Portland Group)[6]

Morphological comparison of E. andrewsi (left) and E. pectoralis (right)

Both species were very small for their order, with E. andrewsi being only 35 millimetres (1.4 in) in length.[4]

See also

• Prehistoric fish
• List of prehistoric bony fish

References

1. Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
2. "PBDB Taxon". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
3. Woodward, Arthur Smith (1895). Catalogue of the Fossil Fishes in the British Museum (Natural History). Taylor & Francis.
4. Woodward, Arthur Smith (1919). The Fossil Fishes of the English Wealden and Purbeck Formations. Palaeontographical Society.
5. "PBDB Collection". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
6. "PBDB Collection". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2024-12-25.