Ophiopsiella procera (Agassiz, 1843)

Taxonomy

Kingdom: ANIMALIA
Phylum: CHORDATA Haeckel, 1874
Class: ACTINOPTERI Cope, 1871
Order: IONOSCOPIFORMES Grande and Bemis, 1998
Family: OPHIOPSIDAE Bartram, 1975
Genus: Ophiopsiella
Species: Ophiopsiella procera
Author Citation (Agassiz, 1843)

Geological Time Scale

Eon: Phanerozoic
Era: Mesozoic
Period: Jurassic
Sub Period: None
Epoch: Late
International Age: Tithonian

Stratigraphy

Weissjura Group
Altmühltal Formation

Biostratigraphy

Hybonoticeras hybonotum Zone
Lithacoceras riedense Subzone

Provenance

Acquired by: Purchase/Trade

Dimensions

Length: 14 cm

Location

Blumenberg
Eichstätt District
Bavaria
Germany

• blumenberg
• eichstätt
• jurassic
• ophiopsiella
• ophiopsis
• tff-oilshale-ch12
• tithonian
• weissjura group

Comments

The genus previously known as Ophiopsis Agassiz, 1834 (except Ophiopsis muensteri Agassiz, 1834), was reassigned by Lane & Ebert 2015 to Ophiopsiella.

Taxonomy from Lane & Ebert 2015.
Lane & Ebert 2015, p. e883238-4 :”Diagnosis—The genus Ophiopsiella is characterized by the following unique combination of features: medium-sized halecomorph fishes with body depth increased anteriorly to form a low hump and tapering posteriorly; parietals equal in length to dermopterotics; antorbitals do not reach the orbit; lacrimal large and deep; *low number of suborbitals with ventral-most suborbital represented by a single large bone (rather than numerous small bones); rostral with lateral horns; posterior infraorbital inclined posterodorsally; preopercle reaches dorsal border of opercle; subopercular with anterior dorsal extension; dermopterotic deep posteriorly and tapering anteriorly; single, undivided dorsal fin; vertebrae lacking posterior fossae; scales have posterior serrations; dorsal fin elongate, occupying over one-third of the dorsal body length, tapering posteriorly; caudal fin forked; *17–19 caudal fin rays; main lateral line continuing into a row of small ossicles between the seventh and eighth caudal fin rays; scales thick, rhomboidal, not deeper than broad; pelvic fins opposite the midpoint of the dorsal fin; *high number (14C) of caudal peduncle scales; posterior border of dorsal fin opposite anal fin; robust maxilla with a shallow posterior notch; lateral line pores located within scale borders (not forming a posterior notch); and basal and fringing fulcra present on both dorsal and ventral lobes of caudal fin.”

Lane & Ebert 2015, p. e883238-4: “Emended Species Diagnosis—Ophiopsiella with *44 vertical scale rows from postcleithra to hinge line; 24–25 dorsal fin rays; 18–19 principal caudal fin rays; *anteriormost four dorsal fin rays extremely elongated compared with subsequent rays, forming a crescent-shaped concave curve posteriorly; *caudal fin deeply forked posteriorly; posttemporal, extrascapular, and postcleithra serrated posteriorly; anterodorsal body scales serrated along their entire posterior border; prominent predorsal hump with maximum body depth at dorsal fin origin.
Pterygial formula:
"

References:
Agassiz, L. 1834. Abgerissene Bemerkungen über fossile Fische. pp. 379–390 in: von Leonhard, K. C. & Bronn, H. G. (eds.): Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Geognosie, Geologie und Petrefaktenkunde, 1834 (4). E. Schweitzbarts Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart.
Lane, J. A. & Ebert, M., 2015: A taxonomic reassessment of Ophiopsis (Halecomorphi, Ionoscopiformes), with a revision of Upper Jurassic species from the Solnhofen Archipelago, and a new genus of Ophiopsidae. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 35 (1): e883238. doi: 10.1080/02724634.2014.883238