A new genus of coccolepidid actinopterygian from the Cretaceous Iguanodon-bearing locality of Bernissart, Belgium

Abstract

The Barremian–Aptian (Cretaceous) locality of Bernissart, Belgium is mainly known for the Iguanodon skeletons it yielded. Nonetheless, it also delivered a rich actinopterygian fauna. Among these fishes, is the coccolepidid Coccolepis macroptera, named by Traquair at the beginning of the 20th century. The systematic revision of several taxa of the family Coccolepididae during the last two decades, not only led to changes in the taxonomic status of these taxa, but also to a much better knowledge of these fishes in general. In the light of this achievements, C. macroptera is here revised and, as a result, it is placed in its own new genus Barbalepis. Barbalepis is a coccolepidid fish with the following combination of characters: lower jaw long and robust; pectoral fins proportionally much smaller than the pelvic fins; some dermal bones covered with a fingerprint-like thin striation and some others smooth; free area of scales covered with tubercles and overlapped area with a thin striation; fin rays smooth; anal fin inserted at the first modified haemal spine. The present paper contains a complete description of this fish with taxonomic conclusions regarding the family Coccolepididae, and a brief discussion of the paleogeographic and paleoenvironmental history of the group, which indicates that the origin of the family predates its first occurrence in the known fossil record and that coccolepidids became restricted to freshwater environments during the Jurassic.