Leptolepis

Name: Leptolepis‭ (‬Delicate scale‭)‬.
Phonetic: Lep-toe-lep-iss.
Named By: Louis Agassiz‭ ‬-‭ ‬1932.
Synonyms: Ascalabos, Leptolepis affinis, Leptolepis bronni, Leptolepis constrictus, Leptolepis nanus, Leptolepis neocomiensis, Leptolepis normandica, Leptolepis pachystelus, Leptolepis pronus, Megastoma, Oxygonius, Sarginites, Tharsis.
Classification: Chordata,‭ ‬Actinopterygii,‭ ‬Leptolepiformes,‭ ‬Leptolepidae.
Species: L.‭ ‬bronni‭ (‬type‭)‬,‭ ‬L.‭ ‬africana,‭ ‬L.‭ ‬brodei,‭ ‬L. toyei, L.‭ ‬valdensis, L. wealdensis.
Type: Plankton feeder.
Size: 30‭ ‬centimetres long.
Known locations: Worldwide.
Time period: Jurassic to Cretaceous.
Fossil representation: Large numbers of specimens.

       Although Leptolepis may just be a little unremarkable looking fish,‭ ‬it is important as it is the first true bony fish that is known in the fossil record.‭ ‬Its predecessors had cartilagninous skeletons meaning they would only preserve when conditions were absolutely right.‭
       There are several deposits that show large numbers of Leptolepis buried together which indicates that it was a shoaling or schooling fish.‭ ‬The large number of fossils‭ ‬and there wide expanse indicates that Leptolepis had a cosmopolitan distribution.

Further reading
- A revision of certain actinopterygian and coelacanth fishes, chiefly from the Lower Lias - B. G. Gardiner - 1960.
- Fish from the freshwater Lower Cretaceous of Victoria, Australia with comments of the palaeo-environment - M. Waldman - 1971.
- Redescription of Santanichthys diasii (Otophysi, Characiformes) from the Albian of the Santana Formation and Comments on Its Implications for Otophysan Relationships - Arnaud Filleul & John G. Maisey - 2004.

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