982 CLASS PISCES. 



(fig. 921), which is widely spread over Europe. According to Dr 

 Deecke, this genus is represented in the Bunter and Muschelkalk ; 

 it is common in the Keuper, or Upper Trias, and thence ranges to 

 the Kimeridgian, or Upper Jurassic. It has also been recorded 

 from the Stormberg beds in the upper part of the Karoo system of 

 South Africa ; and it appears to be also represented in the Trias 

 of North America, where it has received the name of Ischypterus. 

 In these fishes the dorsal fin is small, the inequality of the scaled 

 portion of the caudal strongly marked, and there is a row of large 

 spine-like scales on the middle line of the back. Other more or 

 less nearly allied forms, of which some were formerly included in 

 Paiceoniscus, are Acenfrophorus, from the British Permian \ Cato- 

 pterus, from the North American Trias ; and Dictyopyge, from the 

 Trias of both England and North America, the type species of the 

 latter having been originally named Pal&oniscus superstes. In 

 Heterolepidotus, typically from the Lower Lias of England, and 

 HeterostrophuS) from the Kimeridgian of Bavaria, we have genera 

 in which the contour of the body is more like that of the type genus. 

 Heterolepidotus, according to Dr Deecke, is also represented in the 

 Muschelkalk, and survived to the Kimeridgian. The name Allo- 



Fig. 922. — Dapedius pholidotus', from the Upper Lias of Wiirtemberg. Reduced. 



lepidotus is applied to allied types also represented in the Muschel- 

 kalk. Dapedius (fig. 922), in which Alchmodus may be included, 

 comprises a number of medium-sized fishes with broadly ovate 

 bodies, ranging in Europe from the Keuper to the Lower Jurassic, 

 but also occurring in the Kota beds of the Indian Gondwanas, which 

 are somewhat higher than the Maleri beds from which Cei-atodus is 

 obtained. The dorsal and anal fins have elongated bases, and the 

 inequality between the upper and lower lobes of the scaled part of 



