''Araripelepidotes'' is a genus of

ginglymodi Ginglymodi is a clade of ray-finned fish containing modern-day gars (Lepisosteidae) and their extinct relatives (including the family (biology), family Lepidotidae) in the Order (biology), order Lepisosteiformes, the extinct orders Semionotiforme ...

an fish.

Habitat

''Araripelepidotes'' was probably endemic to the

Araripe Basin The Araripe Basin () is a rift basin covering about ,Neto et al., 2013, p.1 in Ceará, Piauí and Pernambuco states of northeastern Brazil. It is bounded by the Patos and Pernambuco lineaments, and is situated east of the Parnaíba Basin, south ...

, and was commonly found in Santana formation, and rare in the

Crato Formation The Crato Formation is a geologic formation (stratigraphy), formation of Early Cretaceous (Aptian) age in northeastern Brazil's Araripe Basin. It is an important Lagerstätten, Lagerstätte (undisturbed fossil accumulation) for palaeontology, pa ...

, mostly in carbonate concretions, but uncommon in laminated limestones.

Taxonomic history

The type species ''A. temnurus'' was formerly placed in the genus '' Lepidotes'', until it was moved to the new genus in 1990. Formerly placed in the Semionotiformes, more recent morphological studies indicate that it is more closely related to extant gar, and is in fact more closely related to gar than "true" lepidotids such as ''Lepidotes''.

Paleoecology

''Araripelepidotes'' was likely a toothless suction feeder, due to the development of its mobile maxilla and the presence of an interoperculum, and would have inhabited estuarine and freshwater environments. It is the only lepisosteiform known from the Araripe Basin, except for '' Lepidotes wenzae''.

References

Monotypic prehistoric ray-finned fish genera Lepisosteiformes Prehistoric holostei Cretaceous Brazil Fossils of Brazil Crato Formation Romualdo Formation Aptian genera Barremian genera Early Cretaceous bony fish Early Cretaceous fish of South America Fossil taxa described in 1841 Taxa named by Louis Agassiz {{Paleo-rayfinned-fish-stub