Lepidotes

Lepidotes Temporal range: Toarcian - Cenomanian, 180.3–94.0 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Fossil specimen of L. elvensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Clade:	Lepisosteiformes
Genus:	†Lepidotes Agassiz, 1832
Type species
†Lepidotes gigas Agassiz, 1832
Species
†L. elvensis (Blainville, 1818) (orig. Cyprinus) †L. gigas Agassiz, 1832 †L. semiserratus Agassiz, 1836 †L. bülowianus Jaekel, 1929
Synonyms
Genus synonymy Lepidosaurus Meyer, 1833 Serobodus Münster, 1812 Sphaerodus Agassiz, 1833 Plesiodus Wagner, 1863 Prolepidotus Zeitschr, 1983 Species synonymy L. elvensis Cyprinus elvensis de Blainville, 1818 Lepidotes gigas Agassiz, 1832 Lepidotus gigas (Agassiz, 1832) Agassiz, 1833 Lepidotus elcensis Quenstedt, 1847 (lapsus calami) L. semiserratus Lepidotus latissimus Agassiz, 1833 Lepidotus umbonatus Agassiz, 1833 L. gallineki Prolepidotus gallineki (Michael, 1863) Michael, 1893 L. tuberculatus Lepidotus unguiculatus Agassiz, 1837 Shaerodus minor Agassiz, 1844 Pycnodus rudis Phillips, 1871

†L. elvensis (Blainville, 1818) (orig. Cyprinus)
†L. gigas Agassiz, 1832
†L. semiserratus Agassiz, 1836
†L. bülowianus Jaekel, 1929

Lepidotes (previously known as Lepidotus) is an extinct genus of semionotid neopterygian ray-finned fish from the Jurassic period (Toarcian age) and Early Cretaceous. Fossils have been found in marine sediments of France, England, and Germany, and in Early Cretaceous sediments of Brazil and Bornholm, Denmark (Jydegaard Formation). In 1895, many species were assigned to it by Arthur Smith Woodward. They include, L. elvensis, L. semiserratus, L. tuberculatus, L. gallineki, L. leedsi, L. latifrons, L. haydeni, L. occidentalis, L. macrocheirus, L. subovatus, L. minor, L. affinis, L. unguiculatus, L. laevis, L. maximus, L. mantelli, L. degenhardti, L. hauchecorni, L. mawsoni, L. notopterus and L.? pustulatus. Numerous additional species have been assigned to it which Woodward considered indistinguishable from others.

Inhabiting both freshwater lakes and shallow seas, Lepidotes was typically about 30 centimetres (12 in) long. The body was covered with thick, enamelled scales. Batteries of peg-like teeth enabled Lepidotes to crush the shells of its molluscan prey.