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Holoptychius Temporal range: Late Devonian-Mississippian ~383–318 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Fossil of H. quebecensis in the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Sarcopterygii
Class:	†Porolepimorpha
Order:	†Porolepiformes
Family:	†Holoptychiidae
Genus:	†Holoptychius Agassiz 1839
Type species
Holoptychius nobilissimus
Species
H. americanus H. andersoni H. flemingi H. giganteus H. halli H. hopkinsii H. nobilissimus H. quebecensis

Holoptychius (from Greek: όλος holos, 'whole' and Greek: πτυχή ptyche 'fold') is an extinct genus of porolepiform lobe-finned fish from the Middle Devonian to Carboniferous (Mississippian) periods. It is known from fossils worldwide. The genus was first described by Louis Agassiz in 1839.

Description

Holoptychius was a streamlined predator about 50 centimetres (20 in) long (though largest specimen could grew up to 2.5 metres (8.2 ft)), which fed on other bony fish. Its rounded scales and body form indicate that it could have swum quickly through the water to catch prey. Similar to other rhipidistians, it had fang-like teeth on its palate in addition to smaller teeth on the jaws. Its asymmetrical tail sported a caudal fin on its lower end. To compensate for the downward push caused by this fin placement, the pectoral fins of Holoptychius were placed high on the body.

Species

Of the genus Holoptychius the following species have been described:

• H. americanus
• H. andersoni
• H. bergmanni (Downs et al, 2013) from the Frasnian-aged Fram Formation of Ellesmere Island, Arctic Canada
• H. flemingi
• H. giganteus
• H. halli
• H. hopkinsii
• H. nobilissimus
• H. quebecensis
• H. sp. indet. from the Kennebecasis Formation of New Brunswich, Canada.
• H. sp. indet. from the Cuche Formation of Colombia, known from an isolated tooth (UN-DG-PALV86) and preserved scales (UN-DG-PALV50-51).

Distribution

Fossils of Holoptychius have been found in the Mississippian of the United Kingdom and the Devonian of Belgium, Colombia (Cuche Formation, Boyacá), Norway, Canada, the Russian Federation, and the United States (Pennsylvania).

Gallery

• H. andersoni
• Life restoration of Holoptychius sp.
• H. nobilissimus and scale

References

1. Roberts, George (1839). An etymological and explanatory dictionary of the terms and language of geology. London: Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, & Longmans. p. 78. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
2. ^ Species Holoptychius
3. Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 43. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
4. Holland, Timothy (2010). "Upper Devonian osteichthyan remains from the Genoa River, Victoria, Australia" (PDF). Memoirs of Museum Victoria. 67: 35–44. doi:10.24199/j.mmv.2010.67.04. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved 2017-04-04.
5. ^ Downs, Jason P.; Daeschler, Edward B.; Jenkins, Farish A.; Shubin, Neil H. (2013-03). "Holoptychius bergmannisp. nov. (Sarcopterygii, Porolepiformes) from the Upper Devonian of Nunavut, Canada, and a Review ofHoloptychiusTaxonomy". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 162 (1): 47–59. doi:10.1635/053.162.0104. ISSN 0097-3157.
6. ^ Miller, Randall F.; Brazeau, Martin D. (2007-01-01). "A Late Devonian porolepiform fish (Holoptychius) and the age of the kennebecasis formation, southern New Brunswick, Canada". Atlantic Geology. 43: 187–197. doi:10.4138/5650.
7. ^ Mondéjar-Fernández, Jorge; Janvier, Philippe (2014-10-01). "Further evidence for the presence of holoptychiid porolepiforms (Sarcopterygii, Dipnomorpha) from the Frasnian of Colombia". Comptes Rendus Palevol. 13 (7): 587–597. Bibcode:2014CRPal..13..587M. doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2014.03.009. ISSN 1631-0683.
8. Janvier & Villarroel, 1998
9. Holoptychius at Fossilworks.org

Bibliography

• Janvier, Philippe; Villarroel A, Carlos (1998). "Los Peces Devónicos del Macizo de Floresta (Boyacá, Colombia). Consideraciones taxonómicas, bioestratigráficas, biogeográficas y ambientales". Geología Colombiana. 23: 3–18. Retrieved 2017-03-31.

Media related to Holoptychius at Wikimedia Commons

v t e Dipnomorpha
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Clade: Osteichthyes Clade: Sarcopterygii Clade: Rhipidistia Gnathostomata see Gnathostomata Dipnomorpha see below↓ Dipnomorpha
Dipnomorpha †Arquatichthys †Powichthys †Porolepiformes Duffichthys Durialepis Glyptolepis Hamodus Heimenia Holoptychius Laccognathus Porolepis Pseudosauripterus Quebecius Ventalepis Dipnoi †Ctenodus †Conchopoma †Diabolepis †Dianodipterus †Eoctenodus †Gosfordia †Ichnomylax †Iranorhynchus †Isityumzi †Janvierpaucidentes †Megapleuron †Oervigia †Orlovichthys †Proceratodus †Rhinodipterus †Sagenodus †Straitonia †Tarachomylax †Tranodis †Westollrhynchus †Youngolepis †Uranolophidae Melanognathus Uranolophus †Dipnorhynchidae Dipnorhynchus Ganorhynchus Speonesydrion †Stomiahykidae Archaeonectes Stomiahykus †Chirodipteridae Chirodipterus Gogodipterus Palaedaphus Pillararhynchus Sorbitorhynchus Sunwapta †Holodontidae Asthenorhynchus Griphognathus Holodipterus Iowadipterus Robinsondipterus Xeradipterus †Dipteridae Amadeodipterus Conchodus Dipterus Howidipterus †Fleurantiidae Barwickia Fleurantia †Rhynchodipteridae Rhynchodipterus Soederberghia †Phaneropleuridae Andreyevichthys Nielsenia Phaneropleuron Pentlandia Scaumenacia †Uronemidae Ganopristodus Uronemus Ceratodontoidei †Ferganoceratodus †Paraceratodus †Ptychoceratodus Neoceratodontidae †Archaeoceratodus †Asiatoceratodus †Mioceratodus Neoceratodus †Ceratodontidae Arganodus Ariguna Ceratodus Epiceratodus Lupaceratodus Metaceratodus Microceratodus? Potamoceratodus Retodus Tellerodus †Gnathorhizidae Beltanodus Gnathorhiza Microceratodus? Monongahela Namatozodia Palaeophichthys? Persephonichthys Lepidosirenidae Lepidosiren Protopterus

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