FOSSIL AND RECENT 171 



Horizon and locality. Sparnacian-Cuisian, S.E. England. 



Remarks. White & Frost (1931) stated that the tooth plates referred to A. eppsi 

 differ from those of the Recent species in showing teeth of equal size, with no diminu- 

 tion of tooth size towards the margin of the tooth plate. Such a regular tooth size 

 is characteristic of the contemporaneous A . oweni and this fact probably motivated 

 Casier (1966 : 134) to interpret A. eppsi as representing young individuals of A. 

 oweni. However, the great difference in size between the two species and the total 

 absence of intermediate forms suggests that this species is probably a valid one. 

 A . eppsi is reminiscent of Osmeroides latifrons (Turonian) in being small and showing 

 no diminution of tooth size towards the edge of the tooth plate. 



Frost (in White & Frost 1931 : 105) referred an otolith to A. eppsi, presumably 

 because it was found together with tooth plates of this species. This otolith is held 

 by Frost to resemble those of A. vulpes in the rounded anterior and posterior rims. 



Other albulid remains 



There is in the B.M.N.H. collection a large series of isolated teeth from Tertiary 

 deposits of Europe which, although albulid in form, are not easily referred to any 

 of the species recognized so far. Until more associated material of various growth 

 stages become available the specific identity of these teeth must remain in limbo. 



Woodward (1901 : 73) referred to several specimens from the Gault Clay (Albian) 

 which, he said, may be albulid. The specimens concerned (B.M.N.H. 47286, 

 P. 9159) are phyllodont tooth plates and should be referred to Casierus Estes or a 

 closely related form. 



In the B.M.N.H. collection there are two specimens, B.M.N.H. P. 1224 and 

 P.1225, which are albulid in form and come from the Upper Cretaceous of Red Deer 

 River, Alberta, Canada. The specimens consist of isolated teeth and vertebrae. 

 The teeth are unlike those of any Albula species in being laterally flattened and in 

 showing a narrower base than crown. The vertebrae, which in lateral view are 

 deeper than wide, are marked by numerous fine anastomosing strengthening bars. 



There are records of other albulids from North America. Applegate (1970) has 

 described a new species of Albula, A. dunklei, from the Moore ville Chalk (Santonian) 

 of Alabama. Estes (1969c) erected a new monotypic albulid genus Coriops amnicolus 

 for specimens from the Lance Formation of Wyoming and the Hell Creek Formation 

 of Montana, the age of which, according to Cobban & Reeside (1962), is Maastrich- 

 tian-Danian. The albulid specimens found in Alberta, Wyoming and Montana are 

 from freshwater deposits. 



Other Upper Cretaceous albulids of N. America have been recognized on scale 

 remains by Cockerell (1933), who described A. antiqua from Florida, and David 

 (1940) who described a different genus, Kleinpellia. 



Genus LEBONICHTHYS nov. 



Diagnosis. Albulid fish in which the frontals and pterotics show ornamentation 

 in the form of weak ridges. Mouth terminal or nearly so. Maxilla extending to 

 beneath the posterior half of the orbit, with or without teeth. Single elongate 



