A taxonomic reassessment ofOphiopsis(Halecomorphi, Ionoscopiformes), with a revision of Upper Jurassic species from the Solnhofen Archipelago, and a new genus of Ophiopsidae

Abstract

Although the type species of Ophiopsis was long considered O. procera, the genus originally included the single species Ophiopsis muensteri, which subsequent authors moved to Furo. Following the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature code, Furo muensteri is here recognized as the type species of Ophiopsis by monotypy (Article 68.3). Ophiopsiella, gen. nov., is erected to include all remaining previously described 'Ophiopsis' species. Exceptionally well preserved new Ophiopsiella attenuata from the Upper Jurassic plattenkalk of Ettling (Bavaria, Germany) represents the first record of this species from Ettling, allowing for a partial revision of it and Ophiopsiella procera. New evidence allows for an emended diagnosis of Ophiopsiella attenuata, which differs from all other Ophiopsidae in the following combination of features: 27-28 dorsal fin rays, 42 vertical scale rows, and a long, low, posteroventrally inclined dorsal fin lacking elongate anterior fin rays or a strongly concave posterior border. A neotype for O. attenuata is designated, as the type is lost. 'Ophiopsis' attenuata actually contains two anatomically different morphotypes corresponding to distinct species, one of which is indistinguishable from 'Ophiopsis' procera. Exceptional preservation of the new material provides new morphological information, particularly regarding the dermal cranial bones. This revision changes the known distribution of ophiopsids in the Upper Jurassic of southern Germany and France, with possible broader paleobiogeographic and paleoecological implications for this region during the Late Jurassic. Ophiopsids remain poorly known compared with other halecomorphs (e.g., Amiidae), and closer investigation of their morphology and taxonomic relationships is therefore important to understanding broader patterns of halecomorph evolution.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6B250A32-9FAA-4EF6-9D91-6D1C5E91E547

Fauna and Predator-Prey Relationships of Ettling, an Actinopterygian Fish-Dominated Konservat-Lagerstätte from the Late Jurassic of Southern Germany

“…7 ). They are primarily teleosts, although other taxa are also represented ([ 12 – 16 ], [ 43 – 46 ]). A complete current taxonomic list of fishes from Ettling is provided in Tables 1 and 2 , along with the absolute abundance of each species recovered to date.…”

“…9 ), two ophiopsids ( Ophiopsis sp. [ 46 ]; Furo muensteri , [ 45 ]), and Ionoscopus sp. (the latter known only from fragments).…”

“…Halecomorphs. Two halecomorphs are present: a single specimen of Ophiopsis procera (a different species form from that found in the lower part of the quarry; [ 46 ]) from Plattenkalk V, and a single specimen of Furo muensteri from Plattenkalk IV ([ 30 ], [ 45 ]).…”

Scale morphology and specialized dorsal scales of a new teleosteomorph fish from the Aptian of West Gondwana

“…Ganoine-covered scutes preceding the caudal fin are known within Halecomorpha in general, for example Watsonulus eugnathoides, Ophiopsiella attenuata (= Ophiopsis attenuata), Cipactlichthys scutatus, and Teoichthys brevipina (Grande and Bemis, 1998;Arratia, 2008;Brito and Alvarado-Ortega, 2013;Machado et al, 2013;Lane and Ebert, 2015). These scutes occur in numbers of two to four and generally on both dorsal and ventral margins of the caudal fin.…”

“…These scutes occur in numbers of two to four and generally on both dorsal and ventral margins of the caudal fin. There are also some examples of halecomorphs with a unique dorsal and ventral scute associated with the caudal fin, such as Ophiopsis muensteri (= Furo muensteri), Ophiopsiella procera (= Ophiopsis procera), "Furo" longiserratus, and Eurypoma grande (Schultze, 1966;Arratia and Schultze, 2007;Arratia, 2008;Lane andEbert, 2012, 2015). In stem-group teleosts and most derived teleosts, it is more common to find one scute associated with the dorsal, ventral, or both margins of the caudal fin.…”