The actinopterygian fish fauna of the Late Kimmeridgian and Early Tithonian ‘Plattenkalke’ near Solnhofen (Bavaria, Germany): state of the art

Abstract

An overview is presented of the actinopterygian fishes from the Late Jurassic (Late Kimmeridgian and Early Tithonian) ‘Plattenkalke’ near Solnhofen (Solnhofen lithographic limestone), Bavaria, Germany. The fish fauna is very diverse, with the palaeonisciform Coccolepis, halecostomes such as Lepidotes, Heterostrophus, three genera of macrosemiids and six genera of pycnodontiforms, halecomorphs including two genera of caturids, two genera of amiids, Ophiopsis, ‘Furo’, Ionoscopus, Brachyichthys, Callopterus, Liodesmus, ?Lophiurus, five genera of pachycormids, three genera of pholidophorids, Pleuropholis, two genera of aspidorhynchids and eleven genera of basal teleosts. Although several groups have been subject of revision, most of the fauna remains poorly known. Study of this rich fauna will provide a lot of information on the phylogeny and interrelationships of halecostome fishes.