Psarolepis
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Psarolepis Temporal range: Pridoli–Lochkovian |
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| Psarolepis romeri | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Sarcopterygii |
| Order: | ?Onychodontiformes |
| Family: | Incertae sedis |
| Genus: |
Psarolepis Yu, 1998 |
| Species | |
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Psarolepis (/sæˈrɒlᵻpᵻs/; psārolepis, from Greek ψαρός 'speckled' and λεπίς 'scale') is a genus of extinct lobe-finned fish which lived around 397 to 418 million years ago (Pridoli to Lochkovian stages). Fossils of Psarolepis have been found mainly in South China and described by paleontologist Xiaobo Yu in 1998. It is not known certainly in which group Psarolepis belongs, but paleontologists agree that it probably is a basal genus and seems to be close to the common ancestor of lobe-finned and ray-finned fishes. In 2001, paleontologist John A. Long compared Psarolepis with Onychodontiform fishes and refer to their relationships.
Psarolepis had a pair of 'parasymphysical tooth whorls', teeth which extend up at the front of the lower jaw. The head was made of several thick dermal plates and covered with deep pock-marks and large pores. Another trait is a large pectoral spine, just in front of the pectoral fin, extending back from the shoulder girdle, and a dorsal spine located in front of a median fin behind the head, which gives the fish a shark-like form.
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