Acrolepis Temporal range: Famennian to Early Triassic[1][2] PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Fossil of Acrolepis sedgwicki
Restoration
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	†Elonichthyiformes
Family:	†Acrolepididae
Genus:	†Acrolepis Agassiz, 1833
Type species
†Acrolepis sedgwicki Agassiz, 1833
Other species
See text

Acrolepis (Ancient Greek for "tip scale") is an extinct genus of prehistoric marine bony fish that lived from the Famennian stage of the Devonian to the early Triassic epoch.^[1][3] Some species from the Early Triassic of Tasmania are also ascribed to Acrolepis.^[2]

It is a large piscivorous predatory fish in the acrolepid family, which occupied an apex predator niche in its locale. A. gigas was estimated to have grown up to 1.25 metres (4.1 ft) in length.^[4]

A close relationship between the mostly Palaeozoic Acrolepidae and the Mesozoic Ptycholepiformes was proposed, but support from phylogenetic analyses is scarce.^[5] More recent studies place it in the order Elonichthyiformes.^[6][7]

Acrolepis possibly used its sharp, pointed teeth to catch smaller fishes (such as other "palaeoniscoid" fish).^[8]

The type species is Acrolepis sedgwicki from the late Permian Marl Slate of England and the coeval Kupferschiefer of Germany. It is named after British geologist Adam Sedgwick. Other species are known from Carboniferous and Permian rocks in the Czech Republic and Triassic layers of Tasmania.

Specimens in possession of Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums comprise a fossilized jawbone from the Marl Slate of Durham Province.

The following species are known:^[9]

• †A. barbarus Minikh, 2006
• †A. chuvashovi Yankevich, 2001
• †A. frequens Yankevich and Minikh, 1998
• †A. gigas Frič, 1877
• †A. hamiltoni Johnston, 1890
• †A. hopkinsi M'Coy, 1848
• †A. hortonensis Dawson, 1868
• †A. hussakofi Hay, 1929
• †A. languescens Yankevich and Minikh, 1998
• †A. macroderma Eichwald, 1860
• †A. minichi Yankevich, 2001
• †A. ortholepis Traquair, 1884
• †A. reticulata Eichwald, 1860
• †A. semigranulosa Traquair, 1890
• †A. sedgwickii Agassiz, 1833 (type species)
• †A. tasmanicus Dziewa, 1980
• †A. wilsoni Traquair, 1888

Several species have been referred to the genus Acrolepis. The following species were subsequently reascribed to other genera:^[2]

• †Acrolepis arctica Woodward, 1912 → †Boreosomus acticus (Woodward, 1912)
• †Acrolepis digitata Woodward, 1891 → †Namaichthys digitata (Woodward, 1891)
• †Acrolepis laetus Lambe, 1916 → †Pteronisculus? laetus (Lambe, 1916)

The flag and coat of arms of the village and municipality of Žilov, Plzeň-North District in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic, feature a restoration of Acrolepis gigas in the center of the black-silver-red divided fabric or shield, respectively.

• 
  Žilov flag
• 
  Žilov coat of arms

• Prehistoric fish
• List of prehistoric bony fish

v t e Actinopterygian genera
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Infraphylum: Gnathostomata Superclass: Osteichthyes Gnathostomata see Gnathostomata Actinopterygii see below↓
Actinopterygii Actinopterygii †Austelliscus †Cheirolepis †Cuneognathus †Dialipina? †Kentuckia †Krasnoyarichthys †Ligulalepis? †Limnomis †Meemannia †Moythomasia †Naxilepis? †Orvikuina? †Osorioichthys †Palaeoneiros †Pickeringius †Raynerius †Stegotrachelus †Tegeolepis †Terenolepis? †Howqualepididae Donnrosenia Howqualepis †Mimiidae Gogosardina Mimipiscis Post-Devonian taxa see below↓
Post-Devonian taxa Post-Devonian taxa †Adroichthys †Aetheretmon †Agecephalichthys †Amblypterina †Ambodipia †Aneurolepis †Angatubichthys †Apateolepis †Arratiaichthys †Asarotus †Australichthys †Avonichthys †Beagiascus †Belichthys †Bethesdaichthys †Birgeria †Bishofia †Bluefieldius †Blourugia †Boreolepis †Brachydegma †Brachypareion †Brazilichthys †Burguklia †Carbonilepis †Caruichthys †Centrolepis †Charleuxia †Chichia †Coccocephalus †Concentrilepis †Cornuboniscus †Cosmolepis †Cosmoptychius †Cretolepis †Cylindrichthys †Daqingshaniscus †Diplospondichthys †Disichthys †Dmitrevichthys †Drydenius †Duwaichthys †Dwykia †Elpisopholis †Ganolepis †Gardinerichthys †Gardinerpiscis †Gondwanichthys †Grandfieldia †Guaymayenia †Guntherichthys †Gyrolepidoides †Huanghelepis †Hyllingea †Illiniichthys †Inichthys †Irajapintoseidon †Itararichthys †Kalops †Kansasiella †Karaunguria †Kazanichthys †Kelliaichthys †Kenderlichthys †Khantausia †Kompasia †Kutaichthys †Lambeia †Lanarkichthys †Lawrenciella †Leptogenichthys †Letovichthys †Lineagruan †Luederia †Mansfieldiscus †Megapteriscus †Melanecta †Mesembrioniscus †Mesonichthys †Mesopoma †Ministrella †Monesedeiphus †Muensterichthys †Myriolepis †Nematoptychius †Neuburgella †Notacmon †Novogonatodus †Nozamichthys †Oxypteriscus †Pacorichthys †Palaeobergia †Paphosiscus †Paradrydenius †Paralogoniscus †Peleichthys †Piratata †Phanerorhynchus †Phanerosteon †Praolepis †Protamblyptera †Pseudohaplolepis †Psilichthys †Pteroniscus †Rastrolepis †Reticulolepis †Roslerichthys †Rubidus †Samarichthys †Santosichthys †Sceletophorus †Schizolepis †Senekichthys †Sinkiangichthys †Sinoniscus †Sixtelia †Sphaerolepis †Spinofacia †Strepheoschema †Sundayichthys †Tanypterichthys †Tanyrhinichthys †Tienshaniscus †Trachelacanthus †Trawdenia †Turgoniscus †Ufalepis †Urosthenes †Usclasichthys? †Uydenia †Uydenichthys †Varialepis †Wayaobulepis †Westlepis †Whiteichthys †Willomorichthys †Woodichthys †Xingshikous †Yogoniscus †Yaomoshania †Zhongweilepis †Acrolepidae Acrolepis Acropholis Challaia Kasanilepis Namaichthys Plegmolepis Progyrolepis? Watsonichthys †Aeduellidae Aeduella Bourbonnella Decazella Neslovicella Platysella Puertollanichthys Schafeevus Spinarichthys Westollia †Aesopichthyidae Aesopichthys Proceramala †Amblypteridae Amblypterus Daphnaechelus Korutichthys? Lawnia Paramblypterus Tchekardichthys Tholonosteon Tholonotus †Bobasatraniiformes Dorypterus Bobasatraniidae Bobasatrania Ebenaqua Ecrinesomus? †Canobiidae Canobius Schaefferius †Discordichthyidae Discordichthys Geryonichthys Mamulichthys Mutovinia †Eigiliidae Eigilia Strelnia †Elonichthyidae Alilepis Elonichthys Palaeostrugia? Meisenheimichthys Rhabdolepis? †Eurynotiformes Mesolepis Paramesolepis Proteurynotus Wardichthys Amphicentridae Amphicentrum Cheirodopsis Eurynotus Styracopteridae Benedenius Fouldenia Styracopterus †Eurynotoidiformes Adzvalepis Alvinichthys Eurynotoides Isadia Kichkassia Lapkosubia Minicholepis Vologdinia †Gonatodidae Gonatodus Pseudogonatodus Usolia †Guildayichthyidae Discoserra Guildayichthys †Haplolepidae Andrewsolepis Blairolepis Braccohaplolepis Haplolepis Millerolepis Parahaplolepis Protohaplolepis Pyritocephalus †Igornichthyidae Commentrya Igornella Igornichthys Setlikia †Palaeoniscidae Atherstonia Cteniolepidotrichia Dicellopyge Ferganiscus Gyrolepis Palaeoniscinotus Palaeoniscum Palaeothrissum Shuniscus Triassodus Weixiniscus †Platysomidae Aestuarichthys Dorsolepis Kargalichthys Ningxiaplatysomus Paranaichthys Platysomus Schaefferichthys Sinoplatysomus Tompoichthys †Ptycholepidae Acrorhabdus Ardoreosomus Boreosomus Chungkingichthys Ptycholepis Yuchoulepis †Pygopteridae Briveichthys Progyrolepis? Pygopterus Zaborichthys †Rhadinichthyidae Cycloptychius Cyranorhis Mentzichthys Pteronisculus? Rhadinichthys Wendyichthys †Saurichthyiformes Yelangichthys Saurichthyidae Costasaurichthys Eosaurichthys Lepidosaurichthys Saurichthys Saurorhynchus Sinosaurichthys †Tarrasiidae Paratarrasius Tarrasius †Turseoidae Pteronisculus? Turfania? Turseodus †Uighuroniscidae Indaginilepis Uighuroniscus Cladistia see Cladistia includes bichirs Actinopteri Chondrostei see Chondrostei includes sturgeons and paddlefish Neopterygii see Neopterygii