Scanilepis

{{Short description|Extinct genus of fishes}} {{Automatic taxobox | fossil_range = Rhaetian-Hettangian ~{{fossilrange|203|199}} | taxon = Scanilepis | authority = Aldinger, 1935 | parent_authority = Aldinger, 1935 | type_species = {{extinct}}'''''Gyrolepis dubius''''' | type_species_authority = Woodward, 1893 | subdivision_ranks = Other species | subdivision = *{{extinct}}'''''S. spitzbergensis''''' Aldinger, 1935 (''nomen nudum''<ref name="Schultze2021">{{cite book |last1=Schultze |first1=Hans-Peter |author-link=Hans-Peter Schultze |last2=Mickle |first2=Kathryn E. |last3=Poplin |first3=Cecile |last4=Hilton |first4=Eric J. |last5=Grande |first5=Lance |date=2021 |title=Handbook of Paleoichthyology, 8A. Actinopterygii I. Palaeoniscimorpha, Stem Neopterygii, Chondrostei |publisher=Dr. Friedrich Pfeil, München |pages=299 |ISBN=978-3-89937-272-4}}</ref>) | synonyms = * {{extinct}}''Gyrolepis dubius'' Woodward, 1893<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Woodward |first1=A. S. |author-link=Arthur Smith Woodward |title=Palaeoichthyological notes |journal=Annals and Magazine of Natural History |date=1893 |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=281–287}}</ref> }}

'''''Scanilepis''''' is an extinct genus of prehistoric bony fish that lived during the Rhaetian-?Hettangian ages (Late Triassic-?Lower Jurassic boundary). The type species, '''''S. dubia''''', is known from the Rhaetian freshwater deposits of the Bjuv member of the Höganäs Formation, southwestern Sweden.<ref name=Scani>{{cite journal |last1=Lehman |first1=J.-P. |author-link=Jean-Pierre Lehman |title=Le genre ''Scanilepis'' Aldinger du Rhétien de la Scanie (Suède) |journal=Bulletin of the Geological Institutions of the University of Uppsala |date=1980 |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=113–133 |lang=fr |url=https://paleoarchive.com/literature/Lehman1979-ScanilepisRhetienScanie.pdf|access-date=12 December 2021}}</ref> A second species, ''S. spitzbergensis'' was mentioned from the Hettangian of the Festning section of the Grøfjorden area in Spitsbergen, Norway<ref name="Aldinger1935">{{cite journal |last=Aldinger |first=H. |year=1935 |title=Das Alter der jungpaläozoischen Posidonomyaschiefer von Ostgrönland |journal=Meddelelser om Grønland |volume=98 |pages=1–24 |lang=de}}</ref><ref name=Scan>{{cite journal |last1=Aldinger |first1=H. |title=Permische Ganoidfisch aus Ostgrönland |journal=Meddelelser om Grønland |date=1937 |volume=102 |issue=2 |pages=1–392 |lang=de}}</ref> but was never described.<ref name="Schultze2021"/>

==Description== The original material of this genus, described by Aldinger in 1937, was destroyed during WW2 in Germany. Latter, new material was recovered from Bjuv locality, including skull and postcraneal material.<ref name=Scani/> This taxon represents a relatively large fish, up to 110 cm, with an isolated isolated caudal suggesting a fish of at least 2 m. The head presents unusual relative small eyes and a correlative maxilla with very large posterior plate and bony craneal top.<ref name=Scani/> This taxon presents a relatively elongated bodyplan with an odd dorsal fin, exceptionally long, beginning behind the head and reaching the caudal. Pectoral fins weren't found, and are assumed to be small and only played a reduced role.<ref name=Scani/>

==Classification== This fish was originally identified as a member of the genus ''Gyrolepis'', as ''Gyrolepis dubius'', but was later assigned to its own genus (''Scanilepis'') and family (Scanilepididae),<ref name="Aldinger1935"/> and classified as a member of Palaeonisciformes.<ref name=Scan/> Later works placed it as a taxon close to the origin of the family Amiidae, until it was found later to belong to its own order, Scanilepiformes, closely related with the genus ''Evenkia''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sytchevskaya |first1=E. K. |chapter=Freshwater fish fauna from the Triassic of Northern Asia |title=Mesozoic Fishes 2 – Systematics and Fossil Record |editor1= G. Arratia |editor2=H.-P. Schultze |editor-link2=Hans-Peter Schultze |publisher=Dr. Friedrich Pfeil |location=München |date=1999 |pages=445–468 |url=https://www.pfeil-verlag.de/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/2_48d23.pdf |access-date=17 January 2022}}</ref> Regarding to the microstructure of its scales, ''Scanilepis'' approaches the condition of ''Polypterus'' or ''Erpetoichthys'' more than any other genera.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ørvig |first1=T. |title=Microstructure and growth of the dermal skeleton in fossil actinopterygian fishes: ''Birgeria'' and ''Scanilepis'' |journal=Zoologica Scripta |date=1978 |volume=7 |issue=1‐4 |pages=33–56 |doi=10.1111/j.1463-6409.1978.tb00587.x |s2cid=85412731 |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1463-6409.1978.tb00587.x |access-date=12 December 2021|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==See also== {{Portal|Paleontology|Fish}} * Prehistoric fish * List of prehistoric bony fish

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Mesozoic fish of Europe Category:Late Triassic fish of Europe Category:Triassic bony fish Category:Jurassic bony fish Category:Triassic fish of Europe Category:Jurassic fish of Europe Category:Cladistia Category:Triassic Sweden Category:Fossils of Sweden Category:Fossils of Svalbard