Bothriolepis

genus of fishes (fossil)

Bothriolepis is a genus of antiarch placoderms. It was widespread and diverse in the middle to late Devonian.

Bothriolepis
Temporal range: Late Devonian
~387–360 Ma
Model of B. canadensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Placodermi
Order: Antiarchi
Family: Bothriolepididae
Genus: Bothriolepis
Eichwald, 1840
Species
  • Holotype: B. ornata Eichwald, 1840
  • B. africana Long et al., 1997
  • B. alexi Young, 1988
  • B. alvesiensis Stensio, 1948
  • B. amankonyrica Malinovskaja, 1988
  • B. antarctica Woodward, 1921
  • B. askinae Young, 1988
  • B. babichevi Malinovskaja, 1992
  • B. barretti Young, 1988
  • B. bindareii Long, 1983
  • B. canadensis Whiteaves, 1880
  • B. cellulosa Pander, 1846
  • B. ciecere Lyarskaja, 1974
  • B. coloradensis Eastman, 1904
  • B. cristata Traquair, 1895
  • B. cullodenensis Long, 1983
  • B. darbiensis Denison, 1951
  • B. dorakarasugensis Moloshnikov, 2009
  • B. evaldi Lyarskaja, 1986
  • B. favosa Agassiz, 1844
  • B. fergusoni Long, 1983
  • B. gigantea Traquair, 1888
  • B. gippslandiensis Hills, 1929
  • B. grenfellensis Johanson, 1996
  • B. groenlandica Heintz, 1930
  • B. hayi Miles, 1968
  • B. heckeri Luksevics, 2001
  • B. hicklingi Miles, 1968
  • B. hydrophila Agassiz, 1844
  • B. jani Luksevics, 1986
  • B. jarviki Stensio, 1948
  • B. jazwicensis Szrek, 2004
  • B. jeremijevi
  • B. karawaka Young, 1988
  • B. kassini Malinovskaja, 1988
  • B. kohni Young, 1988
  • B. kwangtungensis Pan, 1964
  • B. laverocklochensis Miles, 1968
  • B. leptocheira Traquair, 1893
  • B. lochangensis Pan, 1964
  • B. lohesti Leriche, 1931
  • B. macphersoni Young, 1988
  • B. macrocephala Egerton, 1862
  • B. maeandrina
  • B. markovskii Moloshnikov, 2010
  • B. mawsoni Young, 1988
  • B. maxima Gross, 1933
  • B. meandrina Horrmann, 1911
  • B. minor Newberry, 1889
  • B. nielseni Stensio, 1948
  • B. nikitinae Malinovskaja, 1988
  • B. nitida Leidy, 1856
  • B. niushoushanensis Pan & Wang, 1980
  • B. obesa Traquair, 1888
  • B. obrutschewi Gross, 1934
  • B. ornata Andrews, 1982
  • B. panderi Lahusen, 1880
  • B. paradoxa Agassiz, 1845
  • B. pavariensis Lyarskaja, 1974
  • B. perija Young & Moody, 2002
  • B. portalensis Young, 1988
  • B. prima Gross, 1934
  • B. rex Downs et al., 2016
  • B. sanzarensis Moloshnikov, 2010
  • B. shaokuanensis Liu, 1963
  • B. sibrica Obruchev, 1941
  • B. sinensis Chi, 1940
  • B. sosnensis Moloshnikov, 2003
  • B. stevensoni Miles, 1968
  • B. tastenica Malinovskaja, 1988
  • B. tatongensis Long & Werdelin, 1985
  • B. taylori Miles, 1968
  • B. traquairi Bryant, 1924
  • B. trautscholdi Jaekel, 1927
  • B. tungseni Chang, 1965
  • B. turanica Obruchev, 1939
  • B. verrucosa Young & Gorter, 1981
  • B. virginiensis Weems et al., 1981
  • B. volongensis Lyarskaja & Luksevics, 1998
  • B. vuwae Young, 1988
  • B. warreni Long, 1983
  • B. wilsoni Miles, 1968
  • B. yeungae Johanson, 1998
  • B. yunnanensis Liu, 1962
  • B. zadonica Obrucheva, 1983

Bothriolepis lived in environments across every continent including near-shore marine and freshwater settings. Most species of Bothriolepis were small, benthic, freshwater detritivores. They got nutrients by eating decomposing plant/animal material. They were about 30 centimetres (12 in) in length. However, the largest species, B. maxima, had a carapace about 100 centimetres (39 in) in length.

Over 70 species are found across the world, but this is also typical of modern bottom dwelling species around today.[1]

References

change
  1. Thomson, KS; Thomas, B (2001). "On the status of species Bothriolepis (Placodermi, Antiarchi) in North America". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 21 (4): 679–686. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2001)021[0679:otsoso]2.0.co;2. S2CID 86104844.