Tegeolepis
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| Tegeolepis Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| Mandibles of T. clarki | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Genus: | †Tegeolepis Miller, 1892 |
Tegeolepis is an extinct genus of ray-finned fish, whose fossils have been found in the Upper Cleveland Shales in what is now the United States[1]. T. clarki is the type and only species within this genus[1]. It represents one of the first large piscivorous ray-finned fishes and exhibited robust pectoral fins and a fusiform body[1]. A close relative of Tegeolepis, named Austelliscus ferox has been found in Middle Devonian strata from Southern Brazil[2]. The phylogenetic relationships of Tegeolepis remain uncertain, but evidence indicates it would be placed outside the crown group of ray-finned fishes[1][2][3].