Acrolepis AGASSIZ , 1833

Štamberg, Stanislav, 2013, Knowledge Of The Carboniferous And Permian Actinopterygian Fishes Of The Bohemian Massif - 100 Years After Antonín Frič, Acta Musei Nationalis Pragae Series B 69 (3 - 4), pp. 159-182 : 164

Genus Acrolepis AGASSIZ, 1833

T y p e s p e c i e s: Acrolepis sedgwicki AGASSIZ, 1833 .

I n c l u d e d s p e c i e s: Only Acrolepis gigas ( FRIČ, 1877) occurs in the Bohemian Massif.

D i a g n o s i s ( Štamberg 1991, emended): Body fusiform reaching almost one meter in length. Pelvic fin small, dorsal and anal fins triangular with similar dimensions. Caudal fin deeply cleft and unequally lobed. All fins protected with small fulcral scales. Lepidotrichia articulated except those on proximal part of the pectoral fins. Endocranium probably only partly ossified. One pair of extrascapular bones, small postparietal bones present. Square parietal, oblong frontal, three times longer than the parietal, anteriorly broader than in its posterior part. Dermopterotic orocaudally elongated with posterior projection. Dermosphenotic anteriorly from the dermopterotic. Conspicuous sculpture on all dermal bones of the skull roof. Rostral part of the head blunt, postrostral wide. Suborbital bones present. Maxilla with well-developed maxillary plate. Ratio of the length of the maxillary plate to the length of the narrow anterior part of the maxilla is 1. Length/height ratio of the maxillary plate is 1.1. Lower jaw strong. Dentition consists of two types of teeth in two series. The inner series is formed of a few larger teeth, while the outer comprises numerous minute teeth. Preoperculum obliqueness angle about 35°, bone is apparently bent anteriorly. Operculum relatively small, narrower than the suboperculum. Operculum obliqueness angle about 40°. Branchiostegal rays numerous. Scales stout, minute, widely overlapping. Sculpture on the scales and dermal bones conspicuous, formed by anastomosing ridges. Ridge scales on dorsal margin of caudal fin and caudal peduncle, sometimes also anteriorly from the dorsal fin. Lateral sensory line on the trunk scales not very distinct.