Iranolepis, Hairapetian & Valiukevičius & Burrow, 2006

Hairapetian, Vachik, Valiukevičius, Juozas & Burrow, Carole J., 2006, Early Frasnian acanthodians from central Iran, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 51 (3), pp. 499-520 : 500-501

Genus Iranolepis nov.

Derivation of the name: From Iran, and lepis (Greek), scale.

Type species: Iranolepis ginteri gen. et sp. nov.

Diagnosis.—Climatiid acanthodian with medium to large (0.5–1.5 mm wide) scales. Iranolepis differs from all other climatiids (for which scale structure is known) in having scale crowns with a highly raised, centrally depressed medial area bordered by steep slopes and separated from the lower lateral areas with all areas extending the entire crown length. It differs from Nostolepoides, Tareyacanthus , and Cheiracanthoides in having a low scale neck with large pores along the neck−base junction, and from Nostolepis, Tareyacanthus , Endemolepis , Paranostolepis , Minioracanthus , and Euthacanthus in having a rounded rhomboidal base which is shallow posteriorly and deep anteriorly, and protruding in front of the crown, and in having a different stranggewebe system with short, narrow stranglakunae, weakly developed in the posterior crown part. It differs from Nostovicina and Paranostolepis in having odontocytic mesodentine forming a dense network of fine canaliculi incorporating abundant osteocytes in all growth lamellae of the central and anterior crown parts. Iranolepis differs from Canadalepis , Minioracanthus , Watsonacanthus , Eifellepis , Hanilepis , Laliacanthus, Taimyrolepis , and Lijiangichthys in having a vascular system comprising ascending, circular and radial canals in scale crown, and to those genera plus Paranostolepis , Nostolepis , Wetteldorfia , and Canadalepis in having stranggewebe. It also differs from Canadalepis in having bundled rather than separate Sharpey’s fibres.

Age and geographic distribution.—Late Devonian, early Frasnian, middle Mesotaxis falsiovalis to Palmatolepis hassi conodont zones; unnamed formation of central Iran.