Organism · Ray-finned fishes
Dapedius pholidotus
Source time context (not species duration) · ≈ 201–143 Ma
Inferred life reconstruction
Dapedius pholidotus
Overview
Dapedius pholidotus is an Early Jurassic fish known for a deep, oval trunk. A rounded body follows the head and jaws, ending in a tail. It offers a construction different from long, slender fishes.[1]
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Key facts
A redescription of the same organism uses the name Dapedium pholidotum. Reading historical names in connection with new descriptions is part of exploring fossil fishes.[1]
Time and place
It is known from redescribed material of the early Toarcian in the Early Jurassic. The Jurassic as a whole was roughly 200–140 million years ago. The head, jaws, trunk, and fins provide comparative clues.[1][2]
The time range describes source context, not the complete duration of this species.
Size, form and skeleton
The head and jaws connect to the front of a deep, oval trunk. Bases of paired and unpaired fins lie on the trunk, with the tail connected at the rear. The broad rounded outline can be examined together with the starting points of each fin.[1]
Dapedius pholidotus was a fish with a deep, broad body in side view. One specimen found in Germany measured 21.5cm from snout to the end of the tail musculature, with a maximum trunk depth of about 13.7cm. This measurement differs from length to the tip of the tail fin.[3]
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Habitat and reproduction
How do fins connect to a deep trunk? Examining base positions along the body margin helps reveal the arrangement of several fins and the tail. Observation moves from the overall outline to connecting regions.[1]
Fossil discovery
The redescription addressed names and species features as well as jaws, fins, and preservation in several specimens. Material such as UHH5 and MfNB3514 was used to explore different body regions. This study reexamined a long-known organism through several specimens.[1]
References
Research questions
What information do different specimens add? The trunk and jaws can be compared in one, and fin bases and preserved regions in another. Features from individual specimens are brought together to explore the form of the same organism.[1]
Observation
Follow the deep, rounded trunk from the head and jaws. Examining fin bases along the trunk margin and the tail at the rear in sequence helps read the broad outline in several parts.[1]
Related organisms
Mesturus verrucosusRay-finned fishesSource time context (not species duration) · ≈ 201–143 MaDifferent bodies among fishes
Explore the bodies and living backgrounds of Dapedius pholidotus and Mesturus verrucosus together. Dapedius pholidotus: Dapedius pholidotus is an Early Jurassic fish known for a deep, oval trunk. A rounded body follows the head and jaws, ending in a tail. Mesturus verrucosus: Mesturus verrucosus is a Jurassic fish with a strikingly rounded tail tip. Preserved head and trunk bones and scales allow several body regions to be compared.