''Apsopelix'' is an extinct genus of

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. The ray-finned fishes are so called because their fins are webs of skin supported by bony or h ...

that existed about 95-80 million years ago in the shallow waters of the

Western Interior Seaway The Western Interior Seaway (also called the Cretaceous Seaway, the Niobraran Sea, the North American Inland Sea, and the Western Interior Sea) was a large inland sea that split the continent of North America into two landmasses. The ancient se ...

, Hudson Seaway,

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

, and Japan.

Description

''Apsopelix'' was a small teleost, reaching lengths of 23-27 centimeters (9-10 inches). Fossils possess long gill rakers, which are indicative of a microphagous lifestyle, and evidence of a long gut alongside a robust body show that Apsopelix likely fed on

plankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms found in water (or air) that are unable to propel themselves against a current (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankters. In the ocean, they provide a cr ...

Classification

The genus ''Apsopelix'' has a confusing taxonomic history, with several genera being lumped into it over time. Fossils of the genus found in new locations or preserved unusually would be given distinct genus names, and the holotype specimen was misattributed as a species of

Calamopleurus ''Calamopleurus'' is an extinct genus of bowfins, comprising three species: ''C. cylindricus'' and ''C. mawsoni'' from Brazil and ''C. africanus'' from Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, aft ...

. The genus has also been assigned to a plethora of different teleost groups, such as

Mugilidae The mullets or grey mullets are a family (Mugilidae) of ray-finned fish found worldwide in coastal temperate and tropical waters, and some species in fresh water. Mullets have served as an important source of food in Mediterranean Europe since ...

Clupeidae Clupeidae is a family of ray-finned fishes, comprising, for instance, the herrings, shads, sardines, hilsa, and menhadens. The clupeoids include many of the most important food fishes in the world, and are also commonly caught for production ...

, Elopoidei, Clupeomorpha,

Osteoglossomorpha Osteoglossomorpha is a group of bony fish in the Teleostei. Notable members A notable member is the arapaima (''Arapaima gigas''), the largest freshwater fish in South America and one of the largest bony fishes alive. Other notable members inclu ...

, Percesoces, Crossognathidae, Syllaemidae, Pelycorapidae, Apsopelicidae. Today, ''Apsopelix'' is considered to be in the order Crossognathiformes and in the family Crossognathidae, alongside ''

Crossognathus ''Crossognathus'' is an extinct genus of prehistoric ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. The ray-finned fishes ...

.''

References

External links

Fish1FossilsFossils2
Crossognathiformes Prehistoric ray-finned fish genera Late Cretaceous fish Cretaceous fish of North America Cretaceous fish of Asia Cretaceous fish of Europe {{Cretaceous-fish-stub