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Ophiopsis penicillata

Osteichthyes - Ophiopsiidae

Taxonomy
Ophiopsis penicillata was named by Agassiz (1843). It is a compression fossil.

It was corrected as Ophiopsis penicillatus by Agassiz (1843).

Entered
by P. Vazquez (authorized by M. Clapham) on 2012-08-04; modified by M. Clapham on 2021-08-02

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1843Ophiopsis penicillata Agassiz figs. Pl 36, figs 2-4
1843Ophiopsis penicillatus Agassiz p. 290
1918Ophiopsis penicillata Woodward
1975Ophiopsis penicillata Bartram

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
RankNameAuthor
classOsteichthyes
superclassActinopterygii()
NeopterygiiRegan 1923
Halecomorphi(Cope 1872)
familyOphiopsiidaeBartram 1975
genusOphiopsis
speciespenicillata

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Ophiopsis penicillata Agassiz 1843
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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
A. S. Woodward 1918A robust species about 18 cm . in length . Length of head with opercular apparatus somewhat exceeding maximum depth of trunk , which is twice as great as depth of caudal pedicle and contained about five times in total length of fish . External head - bones coarsely tuberculated or rugose ; marginal teeth long and slender . Dorsal fin arising at the end of the anterior third of the back , half as long as the trunk , comprising not less than 25 rays , mostly bifurcated , of which the longest do not equal the depth of the trunk at their point of insertion ; pelvic fins arising slightly in advance of the middle point between the pectorals and the caudal . Scales smooth , with finely serrated hinder border except towards the hinder end of the caudal region where they are entirely smooth .
A. W. H. Bartram 1975Ophiopsis reaching about 120 mm standard length; proportions as percentage of standard length: head length 29; trunk depth 22.5; predorsal length 46; prepelvic length 61; preanal length 78; fin ray counts: D 25; C 17