Apsopelix is an extinct genus of ray-finned fish that existed about 95-80 million years ago in the shallow waters of the Western Interior Seaway, Hudson Seaway, England, France,[1] and Japan.[2]
| Apsopelix | |
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| Apsopelix anglicus fossil (LACM 16445), Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | †Crossognathiformes |
| Suborder: | †Crossognathoidei |
| Family: | †Crossognathidae |
| Genus: | †Apsopelix Cope, 1871 |
| Species | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Description
Apsopelix was a small teleost, reaching lengths of 23-27 centimeters (9-10 inches).[2] Fossils possess long gill rakers, which are indicative of a microphagous lifestyle, and evidence of a long gut alongside a robust body show that Apsopelix likely fed on plankton.[1]
Classification
The genus Apsopelix has a confusing taxonomic history, with several genera being lumped into it over time. Fossils of the genus found in new locations or preserved unusually would be given distinct genus names, and the holotype specimen was misattributed as a species of Calamopleurus. The genus has also been assigned to a plethora of different teleost groups, such as Mugilidae, Clupeidae, Elopoidei, Clupeomorpha, Osteoglossomorpha, Percesoces, Crossognathidae, Syllaemidae, Pelycorapidae, Apsopelicidae.[1]
Today, Apsopelix is considered to be in the order Crossognathiformes and in the family Crossognathidae, alongside Crossognathus.[2]
