Paralepidotus ornatus Agassiz, 1833

By oilshale (edited)

• November 27, 2016

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Semionotiformes
Family: Callipurbeckiidae
Genus: Paralepidotus
Species: Paralepidotus ornatus
Author Citation AGASSIZ, 1833

Geological Time Scale

Eon: Phanerozoic
Era: Mesozoic
Period: Triassic
Sub Period: None
Epoch: Late
International Age: Norian

Stratigraphy

Hauptdolomit Group
Seefeld Formation

Provenance

Collector: T. Bastelberger
Date Collected: 06/01/2008
Acquired by: Field Collection

Location

Hirtensteiner Quarry
Wiestal
Salzburger Land
Austria

• austria
• paralepidotus
• salzburg
• triassic

Comments

Paralepidotus ornatus is a rather common semionotid in most Norian marine localities of Europe, ranging from a few centimeters up to 50cm in standard length. Specimens of Paralepidotus have been recorded from other localities and have often been described under new specific names such as Lepidotes fimbriatus, L. parvulus, L. latus, Heterolepidotus dorsalis, Colobodus elongatus…
Juveniles are more slender than adults and their dentition is not like the powerful crushing one of large species. This implies a change in environment during the live of an individual Paralepidotus from superficial open waters to shallow mollusc banks. A change in diet is also implied by the change in dentition. It is thought that juvenile Paralepidotus lived on crustaceans whereas adult Paralepidotus had a strictly durophagous dentition and fed exclusively on molluscs.
The slender body of young Paralepidotus suggests that they lived quite far from the bottom and were rather fast swimmers. Adult Paralepidotus were probably shell eaters, slowly swimming just above the bottom.

References:

Tintori, A. Paralepidotus ornatus (Agassiz 1833-43) a Semionotid from the Norian of Europe. Mesozoic Fishes – Systematics and Paleocology, G. Arratia & G.Viohl (eds.):pp167-179.

Gorjanović-Kramberger, K. (1905): Die obertriadische Fischfauna von Hallein in Salzburg. Beitr. Paläont. Geol. Österr.-Ungarns u. d. Orients, VIII, pp 193-224, Taf. 17-21