Sphaerolepis kounoviensis FRIČ , 1877

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 : 167

Sphaerolepis kounoviensis FRIČ, 1877

Text-fig. 2 , fig. 4

1875 1877 1893

1967

1985

1989

1991

2000 (Nov. Gen.) Kounoviensis; Frič, p. 76.

Sphaerolepis (n. g.) Kounoviensis; Frič, p. 46.

Trissolepis Kounoviensis, FR. ; Fritsch, p. 76; figs 277, 278; pls. 109–112.

Sphaerolepis kounoviensis FRIČ ; Gardiner, p. 164; figs 16–18.

Sphaerolepis kounoviensis FRIČ, 1877 ; Štamberg, p. 101; figs 4–7.

Sphaerolepis kounoviensis FRIČ, 1875 ; Štamberg, p. 264; figs 7, 8; pl. 4, fig. 3.

Sphaerolepis kounoviensis FRIČ, 1875 ; Štamberg, p. 72; figs 31–48; pls. 16–18.

Sphaerolepis kounoviensis FRIČ ; Štamberg and Zajíc, p. 455; figs 1, 2E.

L e c t o t y p e ( Štamberg 1991): Specimen figured by Fritsch (1893) on pl. 110, fig. 1, deposited in National Museum, Prague under no. M 1198 and M 1197 (galvanic cast).

D i a g n o s i s: Same as for genus.

L o c u s t y p i c u s: Kounov, distr. Rakovník, Czech Republic.

S t r a t u m t y p i c u m: Kounov Member, Stephanian B, Upper Carboniferous, Kladno and Rakovník Basins.

R e m a r k s: Frič (1875) briefly described a newly found fish with the specific name “ kounoviensis ”, but without a combination with any name of a genus. According to the International Code of Zoological nomenclature (Art. 11.9.3) this is considered an unavailable name. The name was availably published by Frič in his next work ( Frič 1877) when he erected the new genus Sphaerolepis . Later Fritsch (1893) gave a more detailed description of the fish with figures, and erected for this fish the new name Trissolepis and the new family Trissolepidae . With regard to priority, the name Sphaerolepis is to be kept.

Sphaerolepis kounoviensis possesses several distinctive features (the cycloidal shape of the scales, shape of the maxilla, shape of the parasphenoid, large operculum and missing suboperculum) that make the easy determination of the species possible. Gardiner (1967) redescribed S. kounoviensis , and he confirmed the presence of the fossa in the region of junction between the parietal, frontal and dermopterotic. The same fossa was figured also by Fritsch (1893). I am convinced that the fenestration in the above described skull roof does not exist, and the seeming fenestration is deformation of the skull roof caused by the presence of the otolith.

Fragments of bodies, and mostly isolated bones and scales are known from many localities of the Central and West Bohemian late Paleozoic basins, and the Krkonoše Piedmont Basin. Štamberg and Zajíc (2008) enumerated a complete list of the localities with Sphaerolepis kounoviensis . Occurrence of the species is limited to Stephanian B, C, and no occurrence from the Bohemian Massif is known from the Permian. The occurrence of the genus Sphaerolepis is also registered by Bürgin (1990) on the basis of the presence of the scales from the Early Permian of the Weiach Basin in Northern Switzerland. Zajíc (2000) used S. kounoviensis for its relatively easy recognizable features, and its wide distribution, as one of the actinopterygians for biozonation of the Late Carboniferous.

Figures

Text-fig. 2. Reconstruction of some Westphalian and Stephanian actinopterygians. Figs 1 – 5 after Štamberg (1991), Fig. 6 after Westoll (1944). Scale bars represent 20 mm. 1 – Acrolepis gigas (FRIČ, 1877), 2 – “Elonichthys” krejcii (FRITSCH, 1895), figured after the original holotype of Acrolepis sphaerosideritarum FRITSCH, 1895, 3 – “Elonichthys” krejcii (FRITSCH, 1895), figured after the original holotype of Acrolepis krejcii FRITSCH, 1895, 4 – Sphaerolepis kounoviensis FRIČ, 1877, 5 – Sceletophorus biserialis FRITSCH, 1894, 6 – Pyritocephalus sculptus (FRIČ, 1875).